megaupload | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 22 Jan 2018 13:54:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png megaupload | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Kim Dotcom is launching a $6.8 billion legal fight against New Zealand https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/kim-dotcom-is-launching-a-6-8-billion-legal-fight-against-new-zealand/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/kim-dotcom-is-launching-a-6-8-billion-legal-fight-against-new-zealand/#comments Mon, 22 Jan 2018 13:05:53 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=361289 The Kim Dotcom legal saga continues this week. The MegaUpload founder is now suing New Zealand for $6.8 billion following the shutdown of his file-sharing site, his 2012 arrest and damage to his reputation. As part of his case, Dotcom's legal team is making the argument that he was arrested and had his home raided …

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The Kim Dotcom legal saga continues this week. The MegaUpload founder is now suing New Zealand for $6.8 billion following the shutdown of his file-sharing site, his 2012 arrest and damage to his reputation.

As part of his case, Dotcom's legal team is making the argument that he was arrested and had his home raided based on an invalid warrant. If the warrant was invalid, then so are the charges against him. The $6.8 billion number is for damages in the form of lost business since 2012. Accountants calculate that the Megaupload group of companies would be worth $10 billion today if they had continued operating. Damages also include legal costs, loss of investments, loss of his mansion and loss of reputation.

Speaking with the BBC, Dotcom stated: “I cannot be expected to accept all the losses to myself and my family as a result of the action of the New Zealand government. This should never have happened and they should have known better. And because they made a malicious mistake, there is now a damages case to be answered.”

Dotcom has been under the threat of extradition to the US ever since the FBI seized the Megaupload servers. However, under the New Zealand copyright act, criminal sanctions can't be levied against an internet service provider. In order for the US to be successful with an extradition, the alleged crimes would also have to be a crime in the country from which they are requesting the extradition.

Dotcom will next fight his extradition in the Appeals Court on the 20th of February. The US authorities are sticking to their argument that Dotcom violated copyright law, despite the fact that Megaupload had a file takedown system in place for copyright holders to utilize. According to the FBI, film studios and record companies lost more than $500 million while Megaupload was active.

KitGuru Says: It has been six years since Kim Dotcom's home was raided and Megaupload ceased to exist. Since then, there has been a non stop legal struggle between the US, Dotcom and New Zealand. Do you guys think Dotcom will come out on top?

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MegaUpload 2.0 hit a Canadian stock exchange roadblock https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/online/jon-martindale/megaupload-2-0-hit-a-canadian-stock-exchange-roadblock/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/online/jon-martindale/megaupload-2-0-hit-a-canadian-stock-exchange-roadblock/#respond Tue, 24 Jan 2017 12:46:10 +0000 http://dev.kitguru.net/?p=318549 The reason that the launch of Kim Dotcom's MegaUpload 2.0 did not occur on the planned 20th January launch date, was because of a Canadian stock exchange. Although MegaUpload 2.0 was set to perform a reverse takeover of a Canadian firm in order to become publicly listed and increase its value, a stalling due to …

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The reason that the launch of Kim Dotcom's MegaUpload 2.0 did not occur on the planned 20th January launch date, was because of a Canadian stock exchange. Although MegaUpload 2.0 was set to perform a reverse takeover of a Canadian firm in order to become publicly listed and increase its value, a stalling due to information requests has seen MegaUpload 2.0 pull out of the plan.

Kim Dotcom has managed several innovative web ventures over the past few years and has even tried a reverse takeover in the past too. His last file locker, Mega, tried the same thing, though it was blocked by a lack of shareholder approval. The decision to stop the reverse takeover this time appears to be taken by MegaUpload 2.0 rather than the exchange, but we're told it was because of the exchange's “bias.”

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Wvn-9BXVc']

The plan, as per Kim Dotcom's latest tweets, was to see Bitcache, the parent and sister company of MegaUpload 2.0, take over an unnamed, Canadian publicly listed company. This would have seen Bitcache valued at $100 million and add an additional $12 million in capital to the fledgling company. However when this merger was put to the exchange, “further detailed and intrusive information,” was requested, leading the Bitcache board to nix the deal altogether.

In order to maintain its flexibility at this time in its short life, Bitcache will for now remain its own entity. We're told that a beta trial of Bitcache and MegaUpload 2.0 will come about later this year.

This has left some fans of Dotcom rather agitated. He not only encouraged early investment in Bitcache – which now doesn't have much to show, despite the promised 20th January event – but also encouraged people to buy Bitcoin, estimating its value would rise based on the launch of the Bitcache/MegaUpload 2.0 service.

It is important to point out however, that Kim Dotcom does not head up the new company, but is merely an evangelist, which suggests the developers are using his name value to help promote the brand and increase early funding. However it could also be that Dotcom wants to distance himself from the company's finances, should his extradition appeal fail and he is deported to the U.S.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I can certainly understand people feeling duped by Dotcom. While he has no doubt launched a few innovative services over the years, he has a record of making big promises and then struggling to deliver. The Meganet and Internet MANA Party being two of the biggest. 

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Kim Dotcom to launch MegaUpload 2.0 in hours? https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-to-launch-megaupload-2-0-in-hours/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-to-launch-megaupload-2-0-in-hours/#respond Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:42:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=318115 Consistently legally embattled entrepreneur, Kim Dotcom, has pledged to make a big announcement in just a few hours time. As he has consistently done since his original arrest in 2012, on its annual anniversary – 20th January – he plans to make a big announcement and this time around, it's related to his BitCache and MegaUpload …

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Consistently legally embattled entrepreneur, Kim Dotcom, has pledged to make a big announcement in just a few hours time. As he has consistently done since his original arrest in 2012, on its annual anniversary – 20th January – he plans to make a big announcement and this time around, it's related to his BitCache and MegaUpload 2.0 plans.

Since the raid on his home in 2012, Kim Dotcom has tried his hand at a few different things. He launched a music service, a second file locker and even tried to start a political party. While none of those have panned out too well for him, he's still doggedly trying to recapture the success of his original file locker, MegaUpload and its true sequel, MegaUpload 2.0, could well be that.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Wvn-9BXVc']

Designed as a file locker that utilises blockchain technology to track file transfers and provide monetary compensation when copyright protected work is shared illegally, it sounds like an interesting prospect and attracted around a million dollars of investment in 2016 from interested backers. Dotcom has now promised that they will be very happy with the announcement he is set to make in just a few hours, when the New Zealand calendar ticks over to the 20th January.

While the landscape of file lockers is certainly different than when Dotcom's original MegaUpload was king of the hill, he has helped encourage encryption in file storage systems and his seeming love of personal privacy and support for whistleblowers has helped garner him a lot of support form fans over the years.

It will be interesting to see if that support can translate into a successful business venture, as at this point the Dotcom fortune is severely reduced from what it once was.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do you guys think Kim Dotcom can turn around his fortunes with MegaUpload 2.0 and Bitcache? Or will it be as successful as his political ventures? Here's hoping for another MegaUpload song though. That was catchy as hell.

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Kim Dotcom claims he’s been under unlawful surveillance https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-claims-hes-been-under-unlawful-surveillance/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-claims-hes-been-under-unlawful-surveillance/#comments Thu, 24 Nov 2016 09:25:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=312878 MegaUpload founder and perpetual courtroom denizen, Kim Dotcom, still finds himself battling with unknown forces. This time he's claiming that a camera placed in a hotel room opposite his apartment was pointed directly at him. Although official claims are that it was filming the nearby harbour, it has since been removed, prompting Dotcom to begin …

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MegaUpload founder and perpetual courtroom denizen, Kim Dotcom, still finds himself battling with unknown forces. This time he's claiming that a camera placed in a hotel room opposite his apartment was pointed directly at him. Although official claims are that it was filming the nearby harbour, it has since been removed, prompting Dotcom to begin an investigation of his own.

January will be the fifth anniversary of the MegaUpload file locker takedown and Kim Dotcom's initial arrest. Since then he's been battling to avoid his extradition to the U.S. where he has been charged with conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. He lost his initial trial and is now working on the appeal, but in the meantime he claims the government is still conducting surveillance on him.

In a follow up tweet, Dotcom claimed that his legal team had requested the footage from the camera, citing that any filming of Dotcom was an invasion of his privacy. In the mean time the camera has been removed, with claims that it was used to film the harbour, not Dotcom's apartment.

Dotcom went on to claim that this isn't the only harassment he's seeing lately at the hands of customs. Guests who fly into the country to meet with him are often reportedly strip-searched at the airport, as well as forced to unlock their electronic devices.

Although no official source backs up this claim, writer Timothy Marsh does suggest that he has been through such an experience.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It's been a crazy saga keeping an eye on Dotcom over the past half decade. It doesn't seem likely to end any time soon either, with Dotcom's appeal continuing and potentially transitioning to the Supreme Court sometime in 2017. 

Image source: Dotcom/Twitter

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MegaUpload server failure potential a cause for concern https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/online/jon-martindale/megaupload-server-failure-potential-a-cause-for-concern/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/online/jon-martindale/megaupload-server-failure-potential-a-cause-for-concern/#respond Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:58:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=309328 Close to five years on from the seizure of the MegaUpload servers following the arrest of site founder, Kim Dotcom, millions of users from all over the world still don't have access to their data. Since the hosting company which currently stores the hardware has suggested the drives within them could begin failing soon, some …

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Close to five years on from the seizure of the MegaUpload servers following the arrest of site founder, Kim Dotcom, millions of users from all over the world still don't have access to their data. Since the hosting company which currently stores the hardware has suggested the drives within them could begin failing soon, some of those MegaUpload customers are desperate trying to recover their files.

Kyle Goodwin has been at the forefront of retrieving MegaUpload data for several years now. One of the many who lost gigabytes of personal and professional data when the seizure took place, he's partnered with entities like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Stanford's Hover institution, to try and petition the courts to help. To date, he's been unsuccessful, but he's never stopped trying.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Wvn-9BXVc']

At least the catchy song still exists

This week his legal team once again asked the courts to help recover his data, backing up his repeat proposals over the past few years. Despite the initial filing back in 2012, Goodwin's proposal to the court is still said to be pending. He's now urged it to rule on it as soon as possible, due to the potential for data to be lost due to hardware failure.

“The Department of Justice should avoid elevating Hollywood interests over consumer interests and do the right thing for consumers like Kyle Goodwin who wants access to youth soccer videos he stored in the Megaupload cloud,” said head of Kim Dotcom's legal team, Ira Rothken, in a statement to TorrentFreak.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It's crazy that customers haven't been able to retrieve their data. This is the equivalent of the police impounding a courier's truck because the owner used it for some allegedly nefarious purpose, only to deny all customers the right to retrieve their packages from within. 

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MegaUpload is back, with MegaUpload 2 and Bitcache https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/megaupload-is-back-with-megaupload-2-and-bitcache/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/megaupload-is-back-with-megaupload-2-and-bitcache/#respond Mon, 03 Oct 2016 10:21:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=307702 Kim Dotcom has launched the pitch for his new file locker, MegaUpload 2.0 and Bitcoin micro-transaction system, Bitcache. Teaming up with BnkTotheFuture, investors and fans can now contribute Bitcoin towards the ventures, with the original MegaUpload and Mega founder looking for just shy of £4 million to proceed with their development. Inspired by the original …

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Kim Dotcom has launched the pitch for his new file locker, MegaUpload 2.0 and Bitcoin micro-transaction system, Bitcache. Teaming up with BnkTotheFuture, investors and fans can now contribute Bitcoin towards the ventures, with the original MegaUpload and Mega founder looking for just shy of £4 million to proceed with their development.

Inspired by the original MegaUpload and Mega file lockers that Dotcom has been involved with in the past, MegaUpload 2.0 will offer end to end encryption so files are obfuscated from everyone but the owner and recipient. Beyond that, users will not even be identified, so the site itself will not track their names, IP addresses or the files they upload, keeping everyone as anonymous as possible.

bitcache

This is only possible because MegaUpload 2.0 will not use traditional payment methods, instead it will use Bitcoin. That will form the backbone of the entire system too, since it will use Blockchain based storage, thereby making every transfer unique and allowing for Bitcoin micro-transactions in exchange for file transfers, as part of Bitcache.

It's not the easiest of systems to explain, but then something like this hasn't been done before, so there are no real allegories to draw for it. It could theoretically allow artists and corporate entities to use MegaUpload 2.0 to sell content through the service too.

Dotcom and BnktotheFuture are certainly confident in its potential and that seems to be justified. Though the announcement is only a few minutes old at the time of writing, it's already garnered £170,000 in investment funds.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPGdilknFbc']

Investors are being offered a total of five percent of the company for their near four million, with a total of £771,000 required before any money is officially earned by Dotcom's new organisation.

One aspect of this site that is different from what Dotcom has developed in the past though, is that he won't really be involved in it. He's acting more as an “evangelist,” helping to encourage its uptake and will no doubt benefit financially at some point down the line, but he won't own it. This is to prevent any negative connotations with his name from affecting the service and from his shaky legal status from negatively impacting its future.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This sounds like a pretty exciting idea, though we'll have to wait and see how popular it turns out to be. While Dotcom is right in that MegaUpload was an enormous entity, his successor projects like Mega, Baboom and the Internet Mana political party were far from as impactful. This certainly has potential, but time will tell how revolutionary it really is. 

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NZ courts give approval for Dotcom trial live stream https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/nz-courts-give-approval-for-dotcom-trial-live-stream/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/nz-courts-give-approval-for-dotcom-trial-live-stream/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2016 08:15:42 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=304567 For the first time in New Zealand's history, one of its court trials will be live streamed to the world and it's Kim Dotcom's extradition appeal that will break this new ground. It should give viewers much deeper insight into the case itself, but also a look at how the NZ and U.S. governments have …

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For the first time in New Zealand's history, one of its court trials will be live streamed to the world and it's Kim Dotcom's extradition appeal that will break this new ground. It should give viewers much deeper insight into the case itself, but also a look at how the NZ and U.S. governments have been fighting their side of the legal battle.

All of this relates back to Dotcom's original arrest and the shutdown of his file locker, MegaUpload, in January 2012. Since then he's been fighting extradition to the U.S., been certified a fugitive and had his assets frozen, all because he is blamed for the actions of his users, through a charge called “conspiracy to commit copyright infringement.”

Dotcom has denied this culpability from the start, but the court's most recent decision was to grant the extradition order: hence the appeal. Now he will argue to the High Court why the decision to send him to America was unjustified and ultimately why the entire legal proceeding is invalid. Dotcom's legal team is confident they can overturn the original decision.

However the live streaming aspect of the case is a wholly new and interesting layer to the proceedings. The U.S. and NZ governments vehemently opposed the idea, but have since lost out. Dotcom hopes that many of the tactics used by both governments and their respective intelligence agencies, will come to light as part of the trial.

dotcommitnick

Dotcom, computer security consultant Kevin Mitnick (L) and Dotcom's lead lawyer, Ira Rothken (R).

He also wants the technical aspects of the case to be well known. Instead of relying on media reports of what happened during MegaUpload's shut down, he wants the technological people of the world to be able to hear the evidence fore and against him first hand, so there can be no misconception. Dotcom hopes that will help him build support outside of the court room.

Dotcom's hearing is already under way, but is expected to take a further six weeks. The live stream will begin this Wednesday and will run throughout its entirety.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This is excellent news for Dotcom and should give everyone a better insight into the case. The question is, will it actually help the trial, or just lead to a more public confirmation of the extradition order?

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MegaUpload website now advertising cams and dating ads https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/megaupload-website-now-advertising-cams-and-dating-ads/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/megaupload-website-now-advertising-cams-and-dating-ads/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:35:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=304301 When Kim Dotcom was arrested in 2012, his assets seized along with his website, MegaUpload.org, all of the servers and their files, the associated services and the data of many millions of users, it shut it down with the purpose of preventing what it saw as further piracy. But nobody expected the site to eventually be used …

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When Kim Dotcom was arrested in 2012, his assets seized along with his website, MegaUpload.org, all of the servers and their files, the associated services and the data of many millions of users, it shut it down with the purpose of preventing what it saw as further piracy. But nobody expected the site to eventually be used by advertisers.

While Dotcom continues to battle his extradition and a return of his assets, the website MegaUpload.org does indeed appear to have been taking over. Visiting it is probably NSFW, so be careful, but if you do, you'll see a number of scantily clad ladies, along with links to cam sites, adult dating and personal sites and hook up services.

megauploadsite

But surely the FBI still maintains ownership of the site, since it was seized?

As TorrentFreak explains, this is actually something that has happened before. All MegaUpload domains are still owned by the FBI, but they point to name servers which occasionally expire and the federal authority isn't particularly great at remembering to update them.

So when they expire, occasionally someone catches on and takes ownership, therefore making it possible to put adverts on any seized sites that point to that particular name server. Sites like MegaUpload.org.

Of course these defunct, seized and shut down domains don't exactly generate a lot of traffic, so it's not like the people who have taken control are going to generate much income from them. However it does make the FBI look rather unprofessional, especially considering Dotcom hasn't been to trial for his criminal charges as of yet, which means his property was not only seized, but is now in control by someone else, completely unrelated to his trial.

And they're making money from it, no matter how miniscule.

KitGuru Says: As much as you can see this as a simple mistake or lapse in concentration from the FBI's part – it certainly has better things to do than maintain one domain – but considering when seized, these domains should remain in its control, it does throw a bit of egg on its face. 

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U.S. continues to hoard Dotcom’s millions, rejects appeal https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/u-s-continues-to-hoard-dotcoms-millions-rejects-appeal/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/u-s-continues-to-hoard-dotcoms-millions-rejects-appeal/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2016 11:03:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=303055 Kim Dotcom has failed to reacquire the millions of dollars in funds that the U.S. government seized after taking down his site and having him arrested in New Zealand back in 2012. Following a lengthy appeal, the court has refused his claim and upheld the judgement that by remaining outside of the U.S., he is …

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Kim Dotcom has failed to reacquire the millions of dollars in funds that the U.S. government seized after taking down his site and having him arrested in New Zealand back in 2012. Following a lengthy appeal, the court has refused his claim and upheld the judgement that by remaining outside of the U.S., he is a fugitive of the law.

The U.S. government has claimed the legal right to withhold Dotcom's cash stocks, properties and other assets for years now, because it claims they were purchased through profits acquired from money laundering and copyright infringement. Although that is legally arguable, it's managed to maintain its grip on his cash and assets through the fugitive moniker.

The assets have a total value of some $67 million (£52 million) across a number of bank accounts, vehicles and luxury items (as per TorrentFreak).

The failed appeal by Dotcom's legal team is certainly a set back for the German national, but Dotcom and his defence, headed by Ira Rothken, has yet to give up. Moving forward, they would seek a review of the appeal court's decision and would petition the Supreme Court if the review approves the current decision.

“This opinion has the effect of eviscerating Kim Dotcom’s treaty rights by saying if you lawfully oppose extradition in New Zealand, the U.S. will still call you a fugitive and take all of your assets,” Rothken said in a statement.

He went on to call the U.S. tactics imperialistic and with no legal bearing.

That may not be the only Dotcom case that ends up at the Supreme Court though. The MegaUpload founder is also facing extradition after he lost the trial last year, but plans to appeal that decision and will take it to the Supreme Court also, if required.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As much as there is likely to be a case that Dotcom was at least aware of copyright infringement on MegaUpload, it is very worrying that the U.S. can call someone a fugitive and just take their money, without much legal standing or recourse.

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Megaupload revival will link file transfers with bitcoin transactions https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/megaupload-revival-will-link-file-transfers-with-bitcoin-transactions/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/megaupload-revival-will-link-file-transfers-with-bitcoin-transactions/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2016 13:06:53 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=301814 Kim Dotcom has been making headlines again recently following on from the announcement that he is reviving Megaupload, with a launch date set for January 2017. Since then, he has revealed a little more information on how the new Megaupload will work and as it turns out, every file transfer will be linked to a …

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Kim Dotcom has been making headlines again recently following on from the announcement that he is reviving Megaupload, with a launch date set for January 2017. Since then, he has revealed a little more information on how the new Megaupload will work and as it turns out, every file transfer will be linked to a bitcoin transaction, taking encryption and anonymity “to the next level”.

As TorrentFreak reports, over the last few days, Dotcom has been dropping bits of information on Twitter, promising “groundbreaking innovations” that are intended to make Bitcoin “mainstream”.

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In a tweet made earlier today, Dotcom confirmed that “every Megaupload file transfer will be linked to a tiny Bitcoin micro transaction”. The new Megaupload will use 100 million Bitcache wallets, which solves the problem with Bitcoin blockchain limitations.

Aside from that, not much else is known about plans for Megaupload 2.0, but we will likely find out more as we get closer and closer to the January launch date.

KitGuru Says: There is a lot of buzz around the return of Megaupload next year and right now, it seems that Dotcom is putting a huge emphasis on security and anonymity. Did any of you guys use Megaupload back in the day? Are you glad to see the site make a comeback? 

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Dotcom ordered to pay £10 million for MegaVideo piracy https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-ordered-to-pay-10-million-for-megavideo-piracy/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-ordered-to-pay-10-million-for-megavideo-piracy/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:53:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=299809 Kim Dotcom might still be hoping to avoid extradition to the U.S. in his New Zealand trial, but another has been ongoing in Italy for far longer. The six year old court case saw TV company Reti Televisive Italiane (RTI), which has been awarded £10 million by the judge, for copyright infringement on the MegaVideo …

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Kim Dotcom might still be hoping to avoid extradition to the U.S. in his New Zealand trial, but another has been ongoing in Italy for far longer. The six year old court case saw TV company Reti Televisive Italiane (RTI), which has been awarded £10 million by the judge, for copyright infringement on the MegaVideo platform.

Although MegaUpload was the jewel in Kim Dotcom's internet crown back in 2010, he also operated a secondary site, MegaVideo, which stored and allowed the sharing of online-videos. As with every resource ever made that facilitates something like that, piracy was a problem, something that RTI wanted stopped, so it sent takedown notices.

However that put MegaVideo in a tough spot, because RTI didn't provide any URLs. The argument since, as part of its six year court case, was that RTI didn't need to provide URLs – Dotcom and MegaVideo disagreed.

The judge though did not, it seems, as after all this time the court decided to award RTI a full $13.4 (£10.15) million for the alleged infringement. However this isn't even close to what RTI was hoping for, as its initial request of the court was for as much as $110 million.

megavideo

Source: Softronic

Although MegaVideo didn't defend itself – being a defunct organisation and with its founders and developers elsewhere overseas – the court did consider whether it could be claimed that the site was protected by being a host and therefore not responsible for its users. However because MegaVideo categorised videos and used advertising based on certain content, it was found culpable for some of the content that the users uploaded (thanks TorrentFreak).

It's somewhat surprising that the URLs for the infringing content were seen as not necessary by the court, as tracking them down could have been rather difficult.

Regardless though, it will be interesting to see what pressure (if any) this puts on Dotcom and his fellow MegaUpload/Video founders. Who is responsible for paying the bill when the company and its funds no longer exist?

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Kim Dotcom is said to still be worth in the tens or even hundreds of millions, so perhaps he can handle a judgement like this, but nobody likes having to pay out that much.

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Megaupload will make its return in January https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/megaupload-will-make-its-return-in-january/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/megaupload-will-make-its-return-in-january/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:30:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=299173 Kim Dotcom has not only confirmed his plans to bring back Megaupload after several years offline, but the new version of the site will launch in January 2017 on the fifth anniversary of the raid that took down the site originally. Megaupload will be returning in a “bigger, better way” with 100GB storage accounts but …

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Kim Dotcom has not only confirmed his plans to bring back Megaupload after several years offline, but the new version of the site will launch in January 2017 on the fifth anniversary of the raid that took down the site originally. Megaupload will be returning in a “bigger, better way” with 100GB storage accounts but will still “feel like home”.

This will be Kim Dotcom's second attempted comeback since Megaupload first went down. Previously, he had launched a new service called Mega but he eventually lost control over the company following a hostile takeover.

On his Twitter page, Dotcom also explained that Bitcoin would play a role in the new Megaupload system. Users will get 100GB storage accounts and those that previously used the service will automatically have their accounts reinstated. No servers will be placed in the US due to continued legal issues between Dotcom and the FBI and the new site is built using entirely new code, rather than re-purposing legacy code.

KitGuru Says: Megaupload will be coming back on the 20th of January 2017 and given the success of the original site, it will be interesting to see how well the re-launch goes. 

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Kim Dotcom might launch yet another file locker site https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-might-launch-yet-another-file-locker-site/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-might-launch-yet-another-file-locker-site/#respond Wed, 06 Jul 2016 10:53:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=298558 For all his bluster, pomp and failed political ambitions, Kim Dotcom has done a few things well over the years, namely making file lockers. MegaUpload and more recently Mega, were big successes and though he's not involved in either any more, he may build a new one, with a name that he says will make …

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For all his bluster, pomp and failed political ambitions, Kim Dotcom has done a few things well over the years, namely making file lockers. MegaUpload and more recently Mega, were big successes and though he's not involved in either any more, he may build a new one, with a name that he says will make people happy.

Dotcom currently still resides in New Zealand, preparing his appeal for his extradition trial, the result of which would see him deported to the U.S. to face trial. However in the mean time Dotcom has been busy launching music services like Baboom and apparently building a new file locker website too.

The initial announcement for the site was made – where else – on his official Twitter account, where he detailed some of its features: “100GB free storage, on-the-fly encryption, sync all your devices, no transfer limits.” That last point is something he recently criticised Mega for enabling.

He capped the Tweet off by reminding everyone that next year will be the fifth anniversary of his arrest at his New Zealand mansion in 2012. Presumably that's the intended launch date.

When asked by fans about the service, he said that it would be far better than mega, offering a lot of improvements and would be much easier to use. That's an interesting statement to make since Mega has proved to be a fairly intuitive tool for people, though Dotcom has distanced himself from the encrypted file locker in recent years, suggesting it had money problems and had been taken over by a hostile Chinese investor.

When TorrentFreak reached out to the legally embattled entrepreneur, it was told that a new file locker was indeed under development and that Dotcom was excited about the innovations it will contain. While he remained coy about specific features beyond what he had already detailed in the above Tweet, he did highlight how important personal privacy and security still was for him.

Dotcom also said that this would be his best creation yet, utilising eight years of knowledge in the file locker business to bring it to life.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Dotcom has promised a lot over the years and only delivered on a few projects, but traditionally his file lockers have been strong services that are well received. Would you jump on board a new Kim Dotcom file locker?

Image Source: Dotcom/Twitter

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Kim Dotcom and Mega trade barbs over service’s future https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-and-mega-trade-barbs-over-services-future/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-and-mega-trade-barbs-over-services-future/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2016 10:14:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=290516 Kim Dotcom, the endlessly legally embattled founder of the MegaUpload and Mega file lockers, has recently changed his tune on the latter's viability as a service, calling on users to back up files and warning that it's no longer a safe place to store data. Riled up by his negative comments, Mega has now released …

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Kim Dotcom, the endlessly legally embattled founder of the MegaUpload and Mega file lockers, has recently changed his tune on the latter's viability as a service, calling on users to back up files and warning that it's no longer a safe place to store data. Riled up by his negative comments, Mega has now released several statements of its own, lambasting the founder for his own failures.

Mega was founded in Janaury 2013, a year after Kim Dotcom's arrest, as a way to correct the mistakes of MegaUpload and provide better protection for its users. It was part of a wave of encrypted services which have come about in recent years, as the breadth and depth of government spying has become apparent.

Over the years since though, Dotcom rescinded ownership and moved away from many of his founded services, so that his criminal proceedings wouldn't impact them, but that has led to what he described as a hostile takeover of Mega, with a Chinese businessman now said to be in charge. Indeed Bill Liu, who Dotcom claims is secretly head of the operation, is one of China's “top five most wanted criminals.”

Last week Dotcom urged users to back up their files if they stored them on Mega, claiming that years without credit card payments meant it was losing a million dollars a month and may not be able to survive much longer.

Mega has denied all of these claims however, stating that Liu is not involved in any capacity more than an investor and that Mega has “plenty of funds.”

“This year, MEGA has already committed 24 PB additional storage capacity to service our 40 million registered users, and we will continue that expansion,” the company said on its official blog.

Dotcom however came back again and stated that Mega's post is entirely false and that in meetings of his own with the current CEO, the company head admitted there were real problems.

But Mega then came back again, lampooning Dotcom for previously promising services like his encrypted “MegaNet,” would arrive in 2014, then 2016 and we still have yet to see it (thanks TorrentFreak).

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This is a big case of he-said-she-said, which you would perhaps think would be beyond a company that was financially stable. If it was doing well, would Dotcom's public statements really matter? His sway isn't quite what it once was. Especially with his potential extradition looming.

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Kim Dotcom is still battling to get his money back https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-is-still-battling-to-get-his-money-back/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-is-still-battling-to-get-his-money-back/#respond Mon, 28 Mar 2016 09:14:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=288125 Kim Dotcom, the founder of Mega, MegaUpload, Baboom and the Internet Party, has been in and out of court for over four years now, hoping to avoid being sent to the U.S. to stand trial for various charges relating to his long-shut-down file locker operation. While he looks set to be sent there eventually, he's …

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Kim Dotcom, the founder of Mega, MegaUpload, Baboom and the Internet Party, has been in and out of court for over four years now, hoping to avoid being sent to the U.S. to stand trial for various charges relating to his long-shut-down file locker operation. While he looks set to be sent there eventually, he's still brawling in the court rooms in the hope of recovering much of his forfeited fortune.

When Dotcom was arrested back on 20th January 2012, on charges related to conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, money laundering and fraud, the authorities also launched a civil suit against him, claiming many of his assets were generated through the alleged crimes.

Using fugitive law as justification, Dotcom's cars, computers and bank accounts were all seized, leaving him still well off, but hardly the ‘Mega' millionaire he was before.

Over the years since, Dotcom has spent much of his time in courts battling against extradition, but also attempting to recover those funds – much of which went on continuing his and his family's residence in New Zealand. He previously claimed that he required $200,000 NZ dollars (£95,000) a month in living expenses, though has since reduced that figure by moving out of the multi-million dollar mansion he stayed in for many years.

luna

Meanwhile, Dotcom got a new puppy

But now he wants more of his money back. There is still an estimated $67 (£47) million held by the U.S. government, because of Dotcom's status as a fugitive. However the German national's lawyers are now arguing that Dotcom is not a fugitive, as he has only been legally defending his extradition so far, rather than the crimes he stands accused of.

By confiscating his assets from him, his lawyers argue that his rights to legal defence have been removed.

“The DOJ in our view is trying to abuse the Fugitive Disentitlement Doctrine by modifying it into an offensive weapon of asset forfeiture to punish those who fight extradition under lawful treaties, and a provocation for international discord,” said head of Dotcom's defence team, Ira Rothken (via TorrentFreak).

The outcome of this and Dotcom's appeal against the decision to send him and his fellow defendants to the U.S. is down to the Fourth Circuit appeals court. There is still some time before a verdict is expected, but when it comes, it could set precedent for how the U.S. acts with alleged criminals overseas, and how it uses the fugitive law to strip assets from them prior to a trial.

KitGuru Says: Any legal experts among you care to weigh in on Dotcom's chances here? He's had some serious heavy hitters lined up against him this whole time. Can he win an appeal and keep himself away from the U.S.' shores?

 

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Dotcom gets at least one more summer in New Zealand https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-gets-at-least-one-more-summer-in-new-zealand/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-gets-at-least-one-more-summer-in-new-zealand/#respond Wed, 10 Feb 2016 12:29:01 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=283450 The appeal for internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom's extradition trial has been set of August, so the MegaUpload founder will have at least a few more months to prepare and  can finish out this summer there. This comes despite demands from the U.S. that his appeal be fast tracked to hurry along his extradition, should the …

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The appeal for internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom's extradition trial has been set of August, so the MegaUpload founder will have at least a few more months to prepare and  can finish out this summer there. This comes despite demands from the U.S. that his appeal be fast tracked to hurry along his extradition, should the appeal fall through.

This all relates to Dotcom's original arrest back in January 2012 for operating the file locker website, MegaUpload. Authorities in the U.S. and New Zealand accused him of profiting from copyright infringement and money laundering, charges that if convicted could have Dotcom put away for many years.

He was ultimately arrested and his property seized. Over the four years since, he's avoided the trial for as long as possible, but was eventually given the nod by a judge at the end of 2015 to be extradited to the U.S., along with his fellow defendants. Now we await the Dotcom appeal trial, which the judge has set for August, denying requests from the prosecution that it be hurried along (as per TorrentFreak).

kimdotcom

Source: Kim Dotcom/Twitter

When the appeal finally does take place, beginning on the 29th August, it is expected to last several weeks, meaning Dotcom could be New Zealand until October, which is edging into another New Zealand summer. If anything else delays it, it could be 2017 before we know whether Dotcom will be leaving the shores of his southern-hemisphere home for good.

Even if the appeal goes against him, Dotcom can then take it through the High Court, the Supreme Court and even request special consideration from the minister of justice. This is a long road that isn't even close to being over.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It's quite amazing how lengthy this legal process has been. Do you think he will be able to avoid going to the U.S. forever?

 

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Courts rule Kim Dotcom to be extradited to the U.S. https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/courts-rule-kim-dotcom-to-be-extradited-to-the-u-s/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/courts-rule-kim-dotcom-to-be-extradited-to-the-u-s/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2015 09:27:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=278923 Kim Dotcom is to be sent to America to faced charges on conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, money laundering and fraud, as per the whims of the New Zealand court that presided over his extradition trial. Although the German entrepreneur has promised to appeal, him and his co-defendants have all been found eligible under New …

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Kim Dotcom is to be sent to America to faced charges on conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, money laundering and fraud, as per the whims of the New Zealand court that presided over his extradition trial. Although the German entrepreneur has promised to appeal, him and his co-defendants have all been found eligible under New Zealand law and its extradition treaty with the U.S., to be sent across the Pacific.

Dotcom has been battling to avoid the extradition trial for years, having had it pushed back many times since his original arrest on 20th January 2012. While that often caused him financial worry, perhaps it wasn't such a bad tactic as despite much public support, Dotcom is now set to be extradited, along with his fellow defendants; pending his appeal.

dotcom

Meanwhile Dotcom is busy making lemonade with life. Source: Dotcom/Twitter

The charges he is alleged to have committed, all relate to his founding and operation of now defunct file-locker website MegaUpload.com. It has been said by U.S. authorities that Dotcom and staff were aware of piracy taking place on the platform and even encouraged it, using the unlawful sharing of copyright protected content to help grow the site and benefit from it financially.

Despite the obvious seriousness of this situation, Dotcom remains confident he won't be sent overseas. According to his lawyer, the legal standing for the extradition and even the original charges in the U.S. is “weak.” The appeal will be filed for based on a lack of understanding of the court on certain matters such as U.S. copyright law, ISPs and internet based services like MegaUpload. He has said he expects to take it to the High Court and possibly even the Supreme Court if needed.

Dotcom himself said that he and his team had: “a good read of today's court decision. Its weak and a Christmas gift in disguise. Woohoo!! #Appeal”

KitGuru Says: Ending up in the U.S. would not be good for DotCom. His team seems confident though. Do you think he turns this around at the High Court?

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Kim Dotcom given access to Hong Kong funds https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-given-access-to-hong-kong-funds/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-given-access-to-hong-kong-funds/#respond Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:30:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=277004 One of the biggest pieces of contention in the Kim Dotcom extradition saga, has been whether the MegaUpload founder should have access to the money he made during the file-locker's life. While not all of it has been returned to him, the New Zealand High Court has now given access to funds stored in Hong …

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One of the biggest pieces of contention in the Kim Dotcom extradition saga, has been whether the MegaUpload founder should have access to the money he made during the file-locker's life. While not all of it has been returned to him, the New Zealand High Court has now given access to funds stored in Hong Kong bank accounts.

This is something that has been a big problem for Dotcom for some time. He has repeatedly claimed to be running out of money, requesting additional funds for legal fees and living expenses from various judges and courts – albeit after funding a new political party, various internet services and while living in an enormous rented mansion.

Still, he's been granted it before and now he's been granted it again, this time with access to Hong Kong money, where MegaUpload was previously headquartered. However the funds are not for fun and jollies, but exclusively to pay for living expenses and legal fees – Dotcom's two biggest outgoings at this point.

dotcomfans

Source: Kim Dotcom/Twitter

When his assets and those of MegaUpload were seized alongside the New Zealand raid on his home in January 2012, the total value was placed at HK$300 million (£25 million). Part of the liquid cash in that stockpile will now be made available to the legally embattled entrepreneur.

This comes despite the prosecution trying to block it, claiming that Dotcom lives a “Rolls Royce lifestyle,” citing his monthly bills as being in the tens of thousands of NZ dollars (as per South China Morning Post) .Dotcom has in the past claimed the reason his expenses are so high, is because he wishes to maintain the lifestyle his children are used to.

The prosecution's previous rejections of Dotcom's requests for his seized funds, relate to the fact that that money was earned during the operation of MegaUpload, an entity that it claims was used to earn illegal funds. Dotcom also stands accused of money laundering if extradited to the U.S..

With the MegaUpload defendents' extradition trial now complete, all involved await the judge's decision on whether to deport them to the United States for further court action.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Even if some of the success of MegaUpload was because of piracy, it had millions of users. Some of the money made from the site should surely be seen as legitimate?

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Kim Dotcom begins extradition defence https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-begins-extradition-defence/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-begins-extradition-defence/#respond Tue, 03 Nov 2015 11:55:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=273936 Larger than life internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has been in the sights of U.S. and New Zealand authorities for years as they attempted to deport him to America to face charges of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. While he managed to postpone the necessary extradition trial for more than three years, he …

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Larger than life internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has been in the sights of U.S. and New Zealand authorities for years as they attempted to deport him to America to face charges of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. While he managed to postpone the necessary extradition trial for more than three years, he was recently hauled into a court room to face the music and after several weeks of hearing the other side's take on things, now his legal team is winding up their arm for the first jab back.

The early hours of this morning marked the second day of Dotcom's defence, with his lawyers arguing that none of the charges levied against him warrant being extradited to another country. While the crown – representing the United States – has painted Dotcom's actions as fraudulent and therefore worthy of extradition, there is now precedent for copyright related charges to force the deportation of a New Zealand citizen, claims his defence.

To back up this statement, the lawyers were able to cite the case of Dowling v. United States – 1985 – which eventually ruled that copies of copyright protected property were not considered “stolen, converted or taken by fraud,” and therefore did not warrant extradition.

meanwhile
Meanwhile… Source: Dotcom/Twitter

As TorrentFreak explains, this could prove to by the keystone for Dotcom's defence. Since all of the charges against him and most of his fellow MegaUpload defendants are related to copyright infringement in some manner, if none of them are considered extraditable offences, regardless of guilt, Dotcom is unlikely to be sent anywhere.

Dotcom's defence also pointed out that one of the copyright charges against Dotcom had passed its time limitations, so was unable to be applied to the case. Several other charges were only provable if that charge was also considered valid, which should invalidate them too, they argued.

“Unless the United States can show an offence of criminal secondary copyright infringement in the United States as a matter of law, this court must reject this application for surrender,” his lawyer said (via TVNZ).

As it stands Dotcom and his fellow defendants are alleged to have encouraged copyright infringement on the MegaUpload file locker site, which helped them earn more than $250 million NZ. If convicted of money laundering and conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, they face potentially decades in jail.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Now the tactic of delaying the extradition trial seems to make more sense. Dotcom was trying to run out the clock, even if it did almost bankrupt him in the process.

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New Zealand can’t find Kim Dotcom’s extradition notice https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/new-zealand-cant-find-kim-dotcoms-extradition-notice/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/new-zealand-cant-find-kim-dotcoms-extradition-notice/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2015 10:16:12 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270052 Kim Dotcom's long awaited extradition trial has been ongoing for the past week, giving those who have followed his continued delaying tactics a light at the end of the tunnel: whether he goes or stays, at least soon there may be some resolution to the problems that have tied up user files in servers all …

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Kim Dotcom's long awaited extradition trial has been ongoing for the past week, giving those who have followed his continued delaying tactics a light at the end of the tunnel: whether he goes or stays, at least soon there may be some resolution to the problems that have tied up user files in servers all over the world for almost four years. However the latest development is a bizarre one, as the Crown Court can't seem to find the documents that called for Dotcom's extradition in the first place.

This came to light because as part of the hearing, witness for the Crown, Fiona Parkes, produced copies of the origianl extradition order as evidence. However they were not date stamped, so dotcom's lawyer Ron Mansfield, requested the originals. She did not have them, nor did she know if the originals still existed.

Yesterday also saw a gaff for the prosecution, when a Justice Ministry employee was unable to confirm if the arrest warrant had been looked over by a member of their department before the raid on Dotcom's mansion in January 2012, as per RadioNZ. This could be a big problem for the Crown, as the active Justice Minister is meant to see copies of warrants and supporting evidence prior to them being acted on.

kimdotcom
Kim Dotcom continues to take it exceedingly seriously

Despite these setbacks, the Crown – representing the United States – continues to claim that Dotcom and his fellow MegaUpload operators made millions of dollars through encouraging copyright infringement on their file locker site and even handed out money to those that shared such content, to help seed the site during its early days.

Dotcom denies that any of that took place.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It seems hard to imagine how Dotcom could be extradited considering all of the miscarriages of justice that have taken place since his arrest. Still, stranger things have happened and the U.S. is very determined to get him stateside.

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Dotcom’s appeal to delay US extradition hearing denied https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/dotcoms-appeal-to-delay-us-extradition-hearing-denied/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/dotcoms-appeal-to-delay-us-extradition-hearing-denied/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:00:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=267651 Kim Dotcom has been fighting a non stop legal battle with the US for years now over Megaupload. Dotcom and a few other people involved with Megaupload were trying to appeal for more time to prepare for an upcoming US extradition hearing, but their request has been denied by the Court of Appeals. The court …

The post Dotcom’s appeal to delay US extradition hearing denied first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Kim Dotcom has been fighting a non stop legal battle with the US for years now over Megaupload. Dotcom and a few other people involved with Megaupload were trying to appeal for more time to prepare for an upcoming US extradition hearing, but their request has been denied by the Court of Appeals.

The court claimed that it is confident in a fair hearing, which will now go ahead as planned next Monday. The US is after Dotcom, Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato specifically, who all face charges of copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering and conspiracy.

megaupload3

As TorrentFreak points out, the hearing has already been rescheduled ten times. Dotcom apparently wanted it to be rescheduled again in order to get funding for expert witnesses outside of New Zealand. In its judgement, the Court of Appeals said that if the US has deprived the defendants of American expertise, then they would need to properly argue that point during the extradition hearing.

“If Judge Dawson decides the actions of the United States have deprived the appellants of American expertise they need properly to defend the extradition application, then inevitably he will have to adjourn the extradition hearing. If the Judge decides such expertise is not needed, and holds the appellants are eligible for extradition, then the combination of judicial review and the right of appeal in the Extradition Act will provide the appellants with ample remedies should they not accept the outcome.”

The hearing is set to take place next Monday. As you would imagine, Kim Dotcom isn't too pleased about the appeal decision, branding the New Zealand court as a “US owned dancing bear”.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It seems that Dotcom has exhausted all other options and now the extradition hearing will go ahead as planned. Now we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out…

Via: TorrentFreak

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Dotcom is trying to delay his extradition trial, again https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-is-trying-to-delay-his-extradition-trial-again/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-is-trying-to-delay-his-extradition-trial-again/#respond Tue, 08 Sep 2015 10:56:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266726 Kim Dotcom has spent nearly four years avoiding, delaying and attempting to have thrown out, his extradition trial. The court date, if met, would see him and his fellow MegaUpload defendants legally battling to not be sent to the US to face charges related to the running of his file locker website. With the next trial …

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Kim Dotcom has spent nearly four years avoiding, delaying and attempting to have thrown out, his extradition trial. The court date, if met, would see him and his fellow MegaUpload defendants legally battling to not be sent to the US to face charges related to the running of his file locker website. With the next trial date just two weeks away, Dotcom and his co-defendants are now hoping to push it off again.

If the trial date does happen and Dotcom is extradited, he and his fellow MegaUpload administrators face charges including money laundering, conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and racketeering, all of which they deny. They have also been quite vocal about the reason for the delaying action, suggesting that extradition without giving them access to evidence or the necessary funds to pay for legal defence would lead to an unfair hearing.

dotcomhalf
Image source: KimDotcom/Twitter

Dotcom has said that he would travel to the US if given access to both those things, which the government has denied. He also has said he would not seek to delay the extradition trial if given the funds to hire expert witnesses, something he has also been denied (via TorrentFreak).

However the delaying action that has gone on, and continues to in Dotcom's case, hasn't made things easy. In-fact it's depleted the man's funds to the point where he had to claim poverty to a judge, requesting hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in maintenance and legal costs.

The U.S. government maintains that since the funds it seized were earned during what it claims were illegal activities, it cannot give Dotcom access.

The court of appeal will now decide whether to grant Dotcom and his co-defendants extra time by delaying the hearing yet again. If they do, this will be the 10th hearing that has been postponed this way.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Initially it seemed like the delaying tactic might be coming from the authorities to try and starve out Dotcom's remaining funds, which has happened. His legal team even abandoned him a year ago, but still the man persists. It seems bizarre that he's unable to hire in witnesses that would be necessary for his defence. Surely there should be a provision for that?

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U.S. government washes hands of MegaUpload servers https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/u-s-government-washes-hands-of-megaupload-servers/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/u-s-government-washes-hands-of-megaupload-servers/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:44:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266026 Remember back in January 2012 when MegaUpload was shut down and its servers were seized? The people who were paying customers of the site didn't receive any compensation for that loss and despite many legal efforts by different individuals, nobody has been able to get their files back. It was hoped that perhaps the United …

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Remember back in January 2012 when MegaUpload was shut down and its servers were seized? The people who were paying customers of the site didn't receive any compensation for that loss and despite many legal efforts by different individuals, nobody has been able to get their files back. It was hoped that perhaps the United States would make a gesture and return those files to people, but it has now denied any responsibility for the servers.

servers
Source: TorkildR/Flickr

Although some servers are still stored internationally, over 1,000 are in storage within the United States, in a facility in Virginia, managed by QTS Realty Trust, which purchased previous server host Carpathia Hosting. It recently asked permission to wipe the servers, since maintaining them was costing it several thousand dollars a month. Understandably those that would be affected didn't want this to happen, but the U.S. government will not do anything to help.

Lawyers working for MegaUpload founder, Kim Dotcom had suggested that America buy the servers and allow users access to the files, but it has washed its hands of the entire thing, claiming in a new filing submitted to the district Court that it has no responsibility for the servers or their contents.

washhands
Metaphor. Source: Wikimedia

“There is no basis for the Court to order the government to assume possession of the Carpathia Servers or reimburse Carpathia for ‘allocated costs’ related to their continued maintenance,” it reads (via TorrentFreak). It does however add the caveat that the government has already “acquired” the data from the servers, which it claims the defendants at least will have some access too during a criminal trial, should it ever take place.

That sounds almost like a suggestion that if Kim Dotcom were to go along with an extradition and allow himself to be transported to America where he faces criminal charges, the data would be redistributed. Otherwise the U.S. government seems happy to hold it hostage.

In a surprising out of character move, the MPAA, has actually said that it is happy with users receiving their original files, as long as none of them end up in the hands of Megaupload defendants. As the situation stands though, Carpathia still wants to delete the files and nobody is putting up much of a fight.

KitGuru Says: It's pretty awful that people's work, family photos and personal files are still completely inaccessible almost four years on. That's horrific collateral damage in policing crimes that many would consider Dotcom innocent of. 

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MegaUpload user still wants his files back https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/megaupload-user-still-wants-his-files-back/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/megaupload-user-still-wants-his-files-back/#respond Tue, 25 Aug 2015 09:49:42 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=264749 As much as we can argue over whether Kim Dotcom deserved to be arrested and his website, MegaUpload, shut down back in 2012, there is one group we can all agree were victims: the users. MegaUpload members had no warning that one January morning three years ago that the files they had safely backed up …

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As much as we can argue over whether Kim Dotcom deserved to be arrested and his website, MegaUpload, shut down back in 2012, there is one group we can all agree were victims: the users. MegaUpload members had no warning that one January morning three years ago that the files they had safely backed up online would be seized and never returned. One man wants that to change and has been fighting for it since they were taken.

Kyle Goodwin, a sports reporter who used MegaUpload to store his work files remotely, has been trying to regain access to them for years. He's filed a total of six requests with courts and has even received backing from freedom extolling organisations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, but to no avail.

Now, as the company storing MegaUpload servers, QTS has asked to wipe them to mitigate several thousand dollars a month in charges keeping the files in order, Goodwin is pleading with courts once again to allow him and his fellow MegaUpload users to retrieve their files before they are forever deleted.

megaupload
Who knows, there might be some unreleased musical gems on those servers

Unfortunately for Goodwin and other members, everyone is playing pass the buck. As TorrentFreak explains, the U.S. government has absolved itself of any responsibility as far as the servers are concerned, MegaUpload – what's left of it – cannot afford to turn the servers back on as all of its funds are frozen and QTS (which purchased previous server management firm Carpathia Hosting) says it cannot access the files.

“It is clear, however, that through no fault of his own, Mr. Goodwin does not control his property, and that this Court has the authority to remedy that,” claim lawyers working on behalf of Goodwin. “Mr. Goodwin respectfully requests this Court exercise that power and grant him, and those similarly situated, the return of their property.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The collateral damage from the MegaUpload seizure was huge and uncaring. All parties involved should have done more to get the customer data returned to them.

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Dotcom, Universal recording reveals existence of industry ‘bad list’ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-universal-recording-reveals-existence-of-industry-bad-list/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/dotcom-universal-recording-reveals-existence-of-industry-bad-list/#respond Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:07:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=264004 Although Kim Dotcom has said a lot about the corporate and governmental people he's dealt with over the years running file lockers and other various services, there has rarely been proof to back up that these conversations actually took place. Now though, he's revealed a recording of a conversation between himself and several Universal executives, …

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Although Kim Dotcom has said a lot about the corporate and governmental people he's dealt with over the years running file lockers and other various services, there has rarely been proof to back up that these conversations actually took place. Now though, he's revealed a recording of a conversation between himself and several Universal executives, in which they discuss the possibility of working together, but more importantly that they control who is on a “bad list” of individuals that the music industry goes after.

Much of the call discussed the potential for Dotcom's MegaKey system, which would have seen adverts around the web overlayed with MegaUpload controlled adverts, specifically linking to content of companies like Universal. However while executives seemed very excited by the idea of tapping into huge advertising markets, there was also some tension in the air, since Dotcom's file locker was considered by many as a hotbed of piracy.

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How could they ever consider this flower loving guy “evil?”

“We have gotten a lot of fire from RIAA, MPAA, everyone in the content industry, for you know, Megaupload,” Dotcom said (via TorrentFreak). “We don’t have a rewards program, we are one of the cleanest guys.”

Indeed before MegaUpload was shut down, it provided back-end access to many copyright holders, which was more than most other file lockers. However this wasn't enough for the industry at the time, which saw Dotcom as a bad egg. Indeed, he was on a list.

In the end, the Universal executives were happy to put the word out that Dotcom was not on the evil list any more, but only if he dropped a lawsuit against UMG for taking down his MegaSong video.

“In exchange for the litigation disappearing there are certain people I can have conversations with where you will be moved onto a different list as opposed to a bad list,” one executive said.

When Dotcom responded by saying he wanted to be on the “friends list,” the same executive replied:

“Yeah, well you get on to the friends list once we’ve signed a deal. And then the rules of engagement change completely. In the short-term I can downgrade your status from ‘evil’ to ‘bad’ and as the process goes on it will be from ‘bad’ to ‘good’ to ‘exceptional partner’.”

Despite these plans, just two days later, Kim Dotcom's home was raided, his assets were seized and MegaUpload was shut down for good.

The recording is about 30 minutes long and can be listened to in its entirety here.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to know whether the parties involved knew they were being recorded here. If so, this could be prime evidence in Dotcom's extradition trial showing that his arrest was down to the pressure of industry executives, rather than any concrete evidence of wrongdoing. 

Image source: Kim Dotcom/Twitter

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Kim Dotcom: U.S. offered plea deal, I refused https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-u-s-offered-plea-deal-i-refused/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcom-u-s-offered-plea-deal-i-refused/#respond Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:38:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=261804 While the United States has been pretty tight lipped about its ongoing attempts to extradite and imprison internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, the German native has been very vocal about his side of the equation. In a recent Q&A on Slashdot, the Megaupload founder even suggested that the U.S. had attempted to offer him a plea …

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While the United States has been pretty tight lipped about its ongoing attempts to extradite and imprison internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, the German native has been very vocal about his side of the equation. In a recent Q&A on Slashdot, the Megaupload founder even suggested that the U.S. had attempted to offer him a plea deal, but he claims he refused.

During the discussion, Dotcom covered topics as varied as his Internet Party political ambitions, the Trans-Pacific Partnership act and his gaming habits, but it was on the topic of government corruption and his own legal battles that Dotcom broached the topic of a plea deal. He said that the New Zealand solicitor general (operating on behalf of the U.S) offered him the chance to avoid extradition and have the case thrown out, if he would only admit to some basic copyright liability.

“I told my lawyers that I'm innocent and that I'm not interested,” he said. “The next thing you know, the Attorney General of New Zealand offered my main NZ counsel a job as a judge.”

dotcom2

This level of alleged corruption is the reason why authorities have been so aggressive with his case, Dotcom claims, pointing out that when Megaupload was shut down 220 people lost their jobs and under the intense pressure, Dotcom co-defendant and Megaupload programmer Andrus Nomm, voluntarily flew to the US, presumably to hand himself in.

“I'm dealing with an unethical system that is willing to rig the game just to win,” he said. “This case is toxic. [The Department of Justice] knows I'm not a criminal copyright infringer.”

The reason it continues to be dogged however, Dotcom claims, is because as it stands, those U.S. and New Zealand legal entities could be liable for the destruction of his business, if he is eventually found not guilty. If he accepted a plea deal, that culpability would disappear he said.

In a chat with the NZ Herald, he said that shortly after the election, where Dotcom made a stink about mass surveillance and forced the eventually re-elected John Key to answer many uncomfortable questions, he was offered for the entire case to be dropped, if he left New Zealand for good.

But again he refused. Dotcom has said that he sees only one end game: “drop the charges, say sorry, return seized data to Megaupload users and then pay damages.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although we cannot of course verify the claims made by Dotcom here, it's impressive that he's still so adamant that he will come out victorious. It would be quite an amazing turnaround if the U.S. did eventually have to apologise, but you have to imagine that that is quite the pipe dream.

Image source: Wikimedia

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Kim Dotcom’s data may be sent to the US after all https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcoms-data-may-be-sent-to-the-us-after-all/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/kim-dotcoms-data-may-be-sent-to-the-us-after-all/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2015 16:04:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=259348 To say Kim Dotcom has been part of some protracted legal battles is a serious understatement. He's been fighting his own extradition – or at least dodging the trial – since January 2012 and has been similarly fighting to have seized Megaupload servers and his own personal hard drives sent to the US for analysis …

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To say Kim Dotcom has been part of some protracted legal battles is a serious understatement. He's been fighting his own extradition – or at least dodging the trial – since January 2012 and has been similarly fighting to have seized Megaupload servers and his own personal hard drives sent to the US for analysis by the FBI and other authorities. However now that appeals judges have signed off on the transfer, there may be little he can do to stop it.

Although the data has been held by NZ authorities for going on four years already and they have a tight relationship with the US, the drives have remained stubbornly on the small island. Some encrypted data has been sent stateside, but it cannot be decrypted without Dotcom's keys. Both the FBI and other authorities hope that if the data is unveiled in its raw form, it will help build the copyright infringement and money laundering case against Dotcom.

dotcomsad
Image source: Twitter.com/KimDotcom

To date, Dotcom's legal team has fought to keep the data in New Zealand, but added the stipulation that they would be happy to send it over if all personal data was removed from the drives. The NZ authorities were unwilling to agree.

However now that may not need to, as three appeals judges handed down a ruling today that gives the attorney general the ability to order police to send the drives to the US if they choose to.

The big saving grace for Dotcom in this instance may be that, as usual, there is another possibility of an appeal, as per TorrentFreak. As long as he is able to keep paying his lawyers, that's likely what will happen now, further dragging out the case.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Stepping back from the morality of this criminal case and the alleged actions of Dotcom, this is a pretty fascinating legal battle. It's amazing that such pivotal trials like the extradition can be pushed back so much.

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Dotcom demands independent analysis over alleged US trojans https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/dotcom-demands-independent-analysis-over-alleged-us-trojans/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/dotcom-demands-independent-analysis-over-alleged-us-trojans/#respond Tue, 02 Jun 2015 10:33:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252294 One of the biggest back and forth struggles of the Kim Dotcom legal saga, was that the US wanted access to his decryption keys so that it could look into the data held on his personal systems, which were seized as part of the raid on his New Zealand mansion in 2012. However according to …

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One of the biggest back and forth struggles of the Kim Dotcom legal saga, was that the US wanted access to his decryption keys so that it could look into the data held on his personal systems, which were seized as part of the raid on his New Zealand mansion in 2012. However according to one of the German national's lawyers, the NSA and FBI may have had access all along and to prove it, they now want an independent security expert to analyse his computers to see if trojans created by the intelligence agency were previously installed.

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Image source: Wikimedia

The lawyer representing Dotcom claims that the reason the drivers were infected with the malware was to give the FBI and other organisations access to the original data on Dotcom's machines. Initially it was planned for them to be cloned and sent to the US – though some argued that it would save time and money to send the original drives. Dotcom's lawyers protested that the originals should stay in country, at least until the outcome of the extradition trial. It's then he said, that the US authorities attempted to infect Dotcom's hardware.

Now they want an independent test to prove it and they want it to take place before the extradition trial, currently set to take place in September. The court is now considering the matter and will respond in short order.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As much as it wouldn't surprise me if the FBI or the NSA used malware to infect Dotcom's systems, this sounds more like a delaying tactic from Dotcom's legal team than anything else. They've been pushing back the date for years already, despite the man's funds running low and this just seems like another way to give him a bit more time to distance himself from the original allegations.

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FBI seized MegaUpload domains hijacked and linked to malware https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/fbi-seized-megaupload-domains-hijacked-and-linked-to-malware/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/fbi-seized-megaupload-domains-hijacked-and-linked-to-malware/#respond Thu, 28 May 2015 10:29:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251505 When the Megaupload domain names were seized back in January 2012, they were some of the most visited on the internet, with the site's promotional material suggesting as many as 50 million people a day used them and their services. However those days are long gone, but that doesn't mean they receive no traffic at …

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When the Megaupload domain names were seized back in January 2012, they were some of the most visited on the internet, with the site's promotional material suggesting as many as 50 million people a day used them and their services. However those days are long gone, but that doesn't mean they receive no traffic at all. In-fact, visitors from the past few days have found that despite the US authorities supposedly controlling them, someone has hijacked them and begun redirecting those that do visit to malware and scam sites.

Until recently, domains like MegaUpload and MegaVideo contained merely a large image that says that sites have been seized by the authorities and that the visitor's IP may be tracked too. However attempting to visit either at the time of writing sees the URL quickly redirect to a random ad-filled page, with some like TorrentFreak even suggesting that malware attempted to hijack their browser upon the transition.

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Many of the redirects try to trick people with the chance to win or buy iPhones for cheap

Clearly the US' Department of Justice (DOJ) has lost control of the domains some how, as if you look at the WHOIS information for the URLs, they list “PLEASEDROPTHISHOST15525.CIRFU.BIZ” as their name server. That could well mean that the domain server used by the DOJ has itself been hijacked.

Considering that organisation is supposed to house some of the best cyber crime fighters in the world, that's quite a lot of egg on the DOJ's face.

Kim Dotcom, founder of the Megaupload file locker said in a statement that: “With U.S. Assistant Attorney Jay Prabhu the DOJ in Virginia employs a guy who doesn’t know the difference between civil & criminal law. And after this recent abuse of our seized Mega domains I wonder how this guy was appointed Chief of the Cybercrime Unit when he can’t even do the basics like safeguard the domains he has seized.”

Megaupload isn't even the only domain affected, as a number of other seized URLs are also pointing to the malicious sites.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This is a pretty poor show that even a few hours after this was discovered it still hasn't been fixed. It goes without saying that we wouldn't recommend visiting any of the mentioned URLs, as there is a very real chance of you being hit with some nasty malware. 

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US government seizes Dotcom’s millions again https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/us-government-seizes-dotcoms-millions-again/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/us-government-seizes-dotcoms-millions-again/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:59:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=242306 Kim Dotcom has been legally embattled with US and New Zealand authorities for over three years. During that time he's launched services and political entities and even found time to rank as one of the best FPS players in the world, but it hasn't been all smooth sailing. One of the most persistent problems for …

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Kim Dotcom has been legally embattled with US and New Zealand authorities for over three years. During that time he's launched services and political entities and even found time to rank as one of the best FPS players in the world, but it hasn't been all smooth sailing. One of the most persistent problems for the German entrepreneur has been that his money keeps being taken away and it's happened again. Following a ruling by a US district court judge, over $67 million worth of assets, liquid and otherwise, have now been seized by the US.

While Dotcom's legal defence contested the ruling, they were shot down as the he was deemed a fugitive and therefore has no right to his financial assets. Understandably, Dotcom plans to appeal the procedure. In the mean time though, he's likely to be relieved that earlier this month he was granted access to some of his funds by another judge entirely. It will be interesting to see if this latest ruling affects that.

dotcom
Despite his fugitive status, Dotcom has become somewhat of a folk hero

The judge that made this latest move against Dotcom cited much of his original criticisms as part of it, stating that he stood accused of using MegaUpload as a way to make money from piracy and was therefore not entitled to his earnings. Dotcom refutes these claims, calling them baseless and highlights the fact that MegaUpload operated to the letter of the law, much like other file lockers. It also had official take down tools for movie studios to use almost with impunity.

“The default judgement is so thick with DOJ and Hollywood nonsense that one might think they drafted it,” Dotcom said of the news (via TorrentFreak).

All of this will come to a head in June this year however, when Kim Dotcom and his fellow defendants will face their extradition trial. Dotcom's lawyers attempted to delay it again earlier this week, but were denied.

KitGuru Says: Even if Kim Dotcom's extradition trial outcome isn't certain, I wonder why the continued delaying tactics when his funds are running so low?

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