Dotcom refuses to sing a different tune

Last edited Sun Jan 20, 2013, 09:43 PM USA/ET - Edit history (2)

Source: The Hindu

(AP) Indicted Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom launched a new file-sharing website on Sunday, promising users ramped-up privacy levels in a defiant move against the U.S. prosecutors, who accuse him of facilitating massive online piracy.

The entrepreneur unveiled the ‘Mega’ site ahead of a lavish gala and press conference at his New Zealand mansion on Sunday night, the anniversary of his arrest on racketeering charges related to his now-shuttered Megaupload file-sharing site. Megaupload, which Mr. Dotcom started in 2005, was one of the most popular sites on the Web until U.S. prosecutors shut it down, accusing Mr. Dotcom and several company officials of facilitating millions of illegal downloads.

Interest in the site was certainly high. Mr. Dotcom said half-a-million users registered for Mega in its first 14 hours.

Read more: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/dotcom-refuses-to-sing-a-different-tune/article4326374.ece

At the launch party for Mega, Mr Dotcom made light of the incident, re-enacting the raid on his mansion by New Zealand authorities with a helicopter and actors dressed as armed police.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21106584

Hm, personally I'll reserve judgment for a while ... but character and motives of Mr. Mega aside, this press conference is really something to watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iUw-YayHX9Q#t=258s

Links to all videos:

http://gizmodo.com/5977414/watch-all-of-kim-dotcoms-totally-ludicrous-mega-launch-event

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7 replies	Author	Time	Post
Dotcom refuses to sing a different tune (Original post)	reorg	Jan 2013	OP
I don't understand this man's thinking.	drm604	Jan 2013	#1
It's purely greed..... he's a crook	groundloop	Jan 2013	#2
He can't travel to the USA, perhaps a few other places.	bemildred	Jan 2013	#3
What he's doing now is legal	Franker65	Jan 2013	#4
I lost tons of important files when they shut down Megaupload.	NealK	Jan 2013	#5
Me too	They_Live	Jan 2013	#7
Is he related to that guy from 30 Rock?	Bucky	Jan 2013	#6

Response to reorg (Original post)

Mon Jan 21, 2013, 05:37 AM

drm604 (13,962 posts)

1. I don't understand this man's thinking.

He's going to eventually be extradited and prosecuted in the U.S., right? So why would he add to the charges against him?

He probably believes that he can win in court because he didn't himself upload any copyrighted material and did remove links when asked, and he may be right, but he's already made 10s of millions, so why not be satisfied with that rather than risk facing even greater penalties if he is found guilty?

Is it simply greed or is he on an ideological crusade?

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Response to drm604 (Reply #1)

Mon Jan 21, 2013, 08:20 AM

groundloop (2,007 posts)

2. It's purely greed..... he's a crook

He's been in trouble for trafficking stolen phone cards, insider trading, illegal stock manipulation, and embezzlement.

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Response to drm604 (Reply #1)

Mon Jan 21, 2013, 08:28 AM

bemildred (67,484 posts)

3. He can't travel to the USA, perhaps a few other places.

That's it.

The relevant parts:

June 28 - A New Zealand court rules that search warrants used by local police to raid the Dotcom mansion were illegal, and moves by the FBI to copy data from Dotcom's computers to take offshore were also unlawful. The court's action is seen by many as weakening the extradition case against Megaupload.

Aug. 16 - U.S. efforts to extradite Dotcom are dealt another blow as a New Zealand court rules that prosecutors must show evidence to support charges of internet piracy and copyright breaches. The judge in the case says withholding evidence from Dotcom would give Washington a significant advantage in the extradition hearing. She also rules that the document used to order his extradition was illegal.

Sept. 27 - New Zealand's Prime Minister admits that the country's spy agency illegally carried out surveillance on Dotcom, a resident of the country, despite a law which prohibits monitoring citizens and residents.