Dotcom's Mega empire will emerge in new form if US case falls over
BUSINESSDESK: Kim Dotcom's content sharing Megaupload empire might not keep the same moniker but will be back in some form or another if the US government's case fails.
The US government's bid to extradite the internet tycoon and co-accused Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk went to the Court of Appeal in Wellington yesterday, with the USA seeking to quash court orders granting Dotcom's team access to evidence ahead of the extradition hearing.
The court reserved its decision.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Mr Dotcom said the US government's case was "very malicious" and if it fails, he will be back after the US authorities shut down his content sharing empire.
"Megaupload might not bounce back in its own form, but there will be a new mega at some point.
"This is a very political case, because it's actually the US government trying to defend an outdated business model by a handful of billionaires that are shareholders in these large content producing companies.
"They are trying to use this case to basically change the way the internet works," he said.
The US government alleges Mr Dotcom and his co-accused engaged in criminal copyright infringement and money laundering of more than $US500 million.
Mr Dotcom says his legal team told him he was "operating within the boundaries of the law" and he is surprised other content sharing sites, such as Youtube, "that contain much more infringing material than mega ever had in its history" haven't been chased.
"The thing I'm nervous about is the ongoing delaying tactics by the US utilising Crown law to appeal every time we win in court and just dragging things out.
"If it was up to them, we would have no money for our legal defence, no evidence to defend ourselves, we would not even have our own computers back to show our own evidence."
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Comments and questions16
The US agencies are only chasing Dotcom at the behest of the media mogils who are determined to hang onto an outdated distribution model in a changing world. Dotcom was the easiest of targets and the planet is liittered with others who could both afford or were better placed to damage the US in retaliation. Can you imagine Google or Youtube being raided? Dotcom is now my hero and every day this farce plays out it proves the injustice of commercial influence and politics in the 'land of the free'. It dosn't look too good now.
The USA is so opinionated that they think that they should run the whole world by their rules, using their evidence, using their courts, in their land. To openly question this right creates a storm of protest. Is it time to setup international courts, to handle international issues of which Internet copyright is but one?
Kevin,the US ALREADY thinks it is the World Court and the World's Police Force. That is why the place is in such a mess already!
John Key needs to read legal documents and evidence, before acting.
Helen Clark would have read legal document and memorised thousands of words in detail, while john key paids someone else summarise the legal document for him. so typical.
Illegal take down. Cost the tax payer how much?
Dont be fooled for 1 second. Labour would have bent over too. The US is pulling some every strong strings behind the scenes. There is a lot of bullying going on that we are not privy to.
There is a good reason for him to be pursued.... similarly with the John Banks saga. He should have sought advice before having made the donations and based on the advice that he should have received, he should not have made the donation. He is as guilty on that note as John Banks. The world doesn't need another mega upload. That said IP and legitimate entrepreneurs do need to have their rights sufficiently well protected.
Is exploitation a legal defense?
how come when people in positions of authority blatantly break the law as in the Dotcom case and the Tuhoe terror raids that those criminals are not only not arrested and charged, they continue in their poosition of public trust to commit more crimes?
It is outrageous that the crown continues to waste tax payer funds appealing the decisons of the court where crown officers wrong doing is exposed.
This is an abuse of their position and a perversion of the course of justice.
Let those crown officials appeal with their own money not that of the taxpayers, that is what other criminals have to do.
Exactly what law do you think Dotcom has broken?
Ive yet to see any solid evidence against Mr Dotcom, and I believe in NZ still people are innocent until proven guilty.
As far as Im concerned the US government are guilty of corruption by their tactics alone, and the nz government should be ashamed of themselves.
I think you will find most kiwis find the US approach and our government's weakness abhorrent.
US and NZ govt display abuse of power and corruption
Dotcom displays big balls. Good luck mate!
could not agree more the new quote "It may be illegal, it may be unethical, but in the intrest of society it is not unreasonable ." Im suire Lennon, Stalin, and hitler used the same quotes as we here comming from the courts these days.
US if a fascist state run by war mongers and monopolists.
They use to be a shining light of freedom and democracy now they are a good example of greed and immorality in the evil of forms.
American politics and their whole lobbying system is corrupt. It's simply the most disgusting form of legitimiz/sed bribery. since public opinion is now more influenced by the "truth" largely thanks to the availability of the internet and freedom of speech, I wonder how long it will take for Governements including our own to realise that, even as a nation of sheep, we can actually tell when someone is pulling the wool over our eyes.
If they had tried this in the US the US courts would have been no more sympathetic than the NZ courts have been. There is a long list of cases on this topic to support this view