Megaupload Founder Wins Extradition Hearing Delay

[Andy Chalk]

Megaupload Founder Wins Extradition Hearing Delay

Kim Dotcom won't face possible extradition to the U.S. until March 2013 at the earliest.

I'm not a lawyer, but given the way defense attorneys always look disappointed when their request for a continuance is denied on Law and Order, I think the decision to postpone Kim Dotcom's extradition hearing until early 2013 counts as a win for his legal team. The hearing was originally slated for August 6 of this year, but the waters have been muddied by a series of legal setbacks in the U.S. government's case.

In May, a New Zealand court ruled that the U.S. authorities must illegal [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117536-Megaupload-Wins-Evidence-Disclosure-Battle]. Jurisdictional questions also loom, as Megaupload was based in Hong Kong and Dotcom is a permanent resident of New Zealand.

Despite the extra time the delay will give his legal team to absorb the U.S. government's evidence and prepare a defense, Dotcom sounded less than pleased with the delay. "Extradition hearing delayed til March. Dirty delay tactics by the US. They destroyed my business. Took all my assets. Time does the rest," he wrote on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/]. He also took the New Zealand government to task, adding, "The NZ government is refusing an NZ resident due process and a fair defense. Shame on you [Prime Minister] John Key for allowing this to happen. Shame on you."

Dotcom and other former Megaupload executives are facing charges of copyright infringement valued at $500 million. If extradited and convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and millions in fines.

Source: CNet [http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57469099-93/kim-dotcom-extradition-hearing-postponed-until-2013/]




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[Tradjus]

Was Megaupload guilty of allowing copyright infringement on their site? Yes. Is it right to ask them to monitor ever bit of information that people upload? No. There is literally no way they could have possibly kept this from happening, even Youtube, corporate juggernaut that it is, relies almost entirely on digital signatures, a technology that is only reliable a percentage of the time, and on user reporting to ensure they don't face these same sorts of lawsuits. Even then, just type in "Family Guy" on youtube an hour after the premier of an episode, and you'll see even their billions spent on preventing this problem fail miserably.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Have to start questioning how much money this guy has left...

 

[Baldr]

Was Megaupload guilty of allowing copyright infringement on their site? Yes. Is it right to ask them to monitor ever bit of information that people upload? No. There is literally no way they could have possibly kept this from happening, even Youtube, corporate juggernaut that it is, relies almost entirely on digital signatures, a technology that is only reliable a percentage of the time, and on user reporting to ensure they don't face these same sorts of lawsuits. Even then, just type in "Family Guy" on youtube an hour after the premier of an episode, and you'll see even their billions spent on preventing this problem fail miserably.

That just the thing, there are many websites with these type of filters, maybe not as good as youtube, but still using them. They didn't want to use filters like a responsible website and corporation should, they wanted to bank on the fact that there were illegal downloads going on.

 

[Rainboq]

Okay then... Is it just me, or is this guy actually going "Whaa-whaaa! I'm actually winning a little in this case and I hate it! DAMN THOSE DIRTY US SCUM FOR LETTING ME WIN THIS MUCH SO FAR!"?


I mean seriously, its your defense team. If you don't like how they are winning this crap so far for you, then why not fire them and fly yourself here to the US and just get it over with? Hell, might as well just act as your own defense team and lawyer if that is how he is going to be! Not the first time some crazy fat rich bastard has ever acted as his own lawyer!


At least I think it wouldn't be...

Problem is, every second Megaupload is down, he's hemorrhaging money, and lots of it.

OT: Hopefully this gets wrapped up quickly, the US completely disregarded due process with this seizure and they deserve to get slapped on the wrists for it.

 

[Elate]

Amerrriccaaa, Fuck yeah!
Coming to your country and taking your citizens!
Ammerriccaa! Fuck yeah!
Our law is the only way yeah!

OT: America shouldn't even be involved. Sorry but no, this is beyond wrong from the start.

 

[piclemaniscool]

To be fair, for such a large scale as Megaupload was, 20 years doesn't sound like that much. You can get more peddling weed enough times.

Captcha: turn the tables

 

[weirdee]

whatever he did, he is right that due process needs to be given before we condemn him to his fate

 

[snfonseka]

Here I am hoping NZ legal system has a backbone to say "no" to US requests/ demands. In my opinion US has acted as a bully from the beginning of this.

 

[Karadalis]

Fact remains that the US seizing of assets was illegal, ergo that evidence shouldnt even be allowed to be used infront of a court.

The balls the US goverment has to simply waltz into other countries and do whatever the fuck they please, ignoring their own and the countries laws is mind boogling.

How arrogant do you have to be as a goverment/executive organ to think that this will go through just fine?

I mean whe are not talking about a third world country lead by a wanna be dictator that has no way of fighting back because no one takes it serious till it waves around the atom bomb card.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

You dont bring justice by kicking laws in the balls and do what the hell you please.

Sure that guy allowed copyrighted material on his website and no one can tell me that he had no idea about it or that he didnt banked on the fact.

But there are laws for a reason, the shit the US of A are pulling lately reminds me more of a dictatorship then a democracy.. but then again the USA never took freedom that serious when it stood in the way of getting what the USA wants... right US citizens with japanese ancestors during WW2? Or how about those guys locked up in cuba? Anyone?


The US goverment... we do whatever the fuck we want and damn you if you dont like it.

 

[cieply]

Goddamit Andy, get your facts straight, it's a HUGE LOSS for Megaupload, it's so big that hours after that ruling Kim issued a statement in which he offers to agree to extradition if only he will get his funds unfrozen to mount a proper defense.

You have to realize, his funds are FROZEN. Servers that store Megaupload's data cost many thousand dollars every day. US gov. advised to the provider (as he cannot get paid) to ERASE all the data from the servers and all the outraged users were told to SUE MEGAUPLOAD.

Those guys play dirty and they are winning. They know they only need time, and Megaupload will be destroyed and dead no matter what the court will rule. This is how you destroy a man and his business in fron of the world to see, completely ignoring the law.

And the fact that people don't understand that and don't care is the saddest part of it all.