Dotcom bailed
UPDATED: Kim Dotcom has reportedly succeeded in his bail application in the North Shore District court.
Earlier applications for bail had been declined as the German-born owner of Megaupload was considered a flight risk.
United States authorities have charged Mr Dotcom and six others connected with Megaupload with copyright violations and money laundering. Last week additional charges of wire fraud were added to the indictment.
Mr Dotcom was freed to live at his Coatesville mansion on the condition he does not use the internet. Nor is he allowed access to a helicopter, or otherwise travel more than 80km from his Coatesville residence.
ROOM WITH A VIEW: The $30 million Coatesville mansion rented by Kim Dotcom, photographed on February 8. (Photographer: Ben Gracewood. Pilot: Vaughn Davis. Click image to enlarge)
Alleged internet pirate Kim Dotcom will today appear in the North Shore District Court to again seek bail.
Mr Dotcom's internet site Megaupload is accused by United States authorities of being a large-scale piracy ring and the flamboyant technology entrepreneur has been denied bail in previous court hearings over concerns he may flee to Germany where he would not be subject to extradition.
Three others accused of being part of the alleged "Mega conspiracy" have been freed on bail by the New Zealand courts.
Mr Dotcom's arrest, in a dawn raid on the former Chrisco mansion, garnered substantial attention from international media and the case is being viewed as a bellwhether for internet piracy prosecutions.
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Comments and questions37
Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done.
NZ has delivered a massive fail so far from what I read.
Seems pretty tough, when he can't get bail; yet, the -- alleged -- killer of the SkyTV guy gets it granted. Albeit, he's just had it revoked.
I pity Dotcom. He has the rotten luck of being the first one to get caught.
Look at youtube. There are tons of copyright material there but nothing is being done to curb the infringement.
look, get real, the last thing this country needs is multimillionaire entrprenuers and business people who contribute heaps to our society, out walking the streets.
it doesn't leave enough room for the rapists, child molesters and murderers that the courts continually bail.
I think you need to get real. Dotcom doesn't actually contribute anything to NZ. He has sat in a Coatesville Mansion with three other people and pocketed hundreds of millions through what may end up being a loophole in priacy laws. Whichever way this turns out, there is one thing he is not doing and that's contributing to our economy. Does he even pay tax on his hundreds of millions? I bet he doesn't. Bet that's another loophole too while he continues to contributs to his prviate virtual world economy.
your a little off the game there ace - he did give $10M to NZ in bonds, has brought millions of dollars in cars, toys, plates and pays huge rent on his home - so he has paid huge sums of GST at a minimum - think how much tax has been paid by those he spends money with. he also has a huge live in security entourage - that all get paid and pay tax etc here - does not seem all that bad
Are you saying his lawnmower man or gardener should be locked up for receiving proceeds of crime? He seems to have a healthy appetite so lets go after the local supermarket as well.
So do we give back his donation to the christchurch earth quake fund ?
Like most miserable, ignorant, non-achieving, Prius driving socialists, you really have no idea how simple economics work. Any wealth generated in NZ is a good thing. Even if he was clever enough and able to keep most of it in a tax haven, he still injected a lot of money into NZ and employed people etc, etc, over your head etc.
couldn't agree with you more. bet the cock that sent the post at 10:46 still tootles off to work each morning in his walkshorts and sandles. then can't wait for morning tea so he can rush outside for a smoke. the countries full of them unfortunately.
Yeah, he did light up the viaduct sky with a pretty fireworks display. And the showroom Coutts boys were able to dine down there as well. Just want the country needs.
How is he a flight risk, surely the morons at security at Auckland Airport would recognise him a mile off now.
although, you can never be too sure - rumour has it he was seeking to change his name again to Slim Kim Pretzel Dotcom.
He's a flight risk because he has his own plane! Would you want to be in the sky with a Battlefield3 gamer flying around in it ?
he should have been on bail from day one - what a joke this is. NZ will look like muppets out of this one. rape, kill and your on the street - it is a sad day for NZ business that now you and your business can be shut down and your guilty until proven innocent just because some other bigger jurisdiction says so
Finally NZ Justice has stood up and acted as a sovereign ought to. His initial incaceration was a disgrace simply because the judges were intimidated by US hype & largese. No crime has been proven, no victims identified as yet (outside of the US entertainment industry') and yet the NZ Police and Judiciary behaved as if the worst ever criminal had stalked the shores of NZ!!
he spent $$millions on cars, must have contributed somehow, the car salesmen would be out spending the commission at calender girls supporting the less privaleged in society, so that;s a real help, and he also bought a lot of food by the looks.
aaahhh so thats where car dealers spend their hard earned cash - insightful!
The reason he was busted by the Feds on behalf of their bosses in Hollywood has little to do with copyright infringement - YouTube and others are doing the same and more and they aren't busted. What was at issue is that he was about to launch a music distribution website that would allow artists to keep 90% of the revenue their music generated, and also share in ad revenue that Megaupload produced from free-to-download music. It's THAT that was the threat to Hollywood and so had to be stopped.
Also, why the OTT push for SOPA and PIPA last month (which didn't pass through Congress and Senate, but watch, they'll be back) when the arrest of Kim Dotcom shows the Feds have all the power they need already.
Innocent until proven guilty? What are we a Banana Republic (or perhaps a wannabe state of the USA)? Perhaps we should just string him up from the closest tree? It's appalling that our Govt will act so abruptly and apparently unjustly all in the defense of large media IP. We are a bunch of white trash hicks. Welcome to the Third World.
The treatment dished out to Dotcom is no different to how the IRD and NZ police treat ordinary NZ citizens every day only the ordinary citizen dose not make the news. WAKE UP.
...I understand Kim Dotcom's possessions were seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Doesn't he have to be proven guilty of a criminal act before this happens? I don't think NZ Police or IRD can do that without proof. I am awake.
banned from the internet.
no chance of using a nother persons pc then.
Randy
Well he hasn't been proven guilty of a crime and yes they can without proving guilt under the proceeds of crimes act
The whole approach to Dotcom from police and NZ court is appalling. Becoming banana republic to Hollywood interests for artists revenues. The concept of innocent until proven guilty does not apply when it comes to Hollywood interests. Dotcom should be allowed to use the internet. This is a basic human right in the modern times.
I heard a rumour the cops were offered a bit part in the next Avatar film if they went after Kim.
Can't give back the fireworks he paid for...
How is he meant to play that game he is "world champion" at if he cant use the internet. That is probably like torture for him.
Was he bailed to the mansion, or the "small" house he owns on the adjacent property? I was under the impression he was unable to pay the rent on the mansion now.
Using US and Ozzie police terror tactics on a NZ resident .
Shame, NZ.
It is anticipated that the extradition hearings will be scheduled for August. But, while the US has vocalized its desire to have Dotcom extradited, they have yet to file a "formal" request in writing - a request whose deadline is less than 2 weeks away (March 5th). If, in the fury of their legal activities, the US omits this tiny but important detail and lets the deadline pass, Kim Dotcom will walk free.
thank you sooo much for bringing this to our attention. i will inform barack immediately.
cheers ears!
Finally. The bowing and scraping of NZ Police and Judiciary before their Hollywood overlords interest was embarassing and disgusting.
The hatchet job done in MediaWorks outlets on the days after Dotcom's arrest, to sway public opinion as he was 'perp-walked' and refused bail was just as transparent and sickening. Are we just lackeys to an out of control facist empire now?
What would the diggers be thinking?
Time to tell the USA to stuff off out of here.
Run Dotcom! Run!
Judge Nevin Dawson is one of NZ's finest judges; uncompromising , straight down the line of precedent , and unafraid of consequences. A man of principle.
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