Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCommonwealth GamesCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
New Zealand

Kim Dotcom: What you need to know

23 Dec, 2015 02:19 AM4 minutes to read
Kim Dotcom in his penthouse apartment before a judge ruled he is eligible for extradition to the US

Kim Dotcom in his penthouse apartment before a judge ruled he is eligible for extradition to the US

David Fisher
By
David Fisher

Senior writer

VIEW PROFILE

A judge has today ruled Kim Dotcom and his co-defendants are eligible for extradition. Here's what you need to know:

1. Kim Dotcom set up Megaupload in 2004 and launched it in 2005 based on an idea that sending links to files was less bandwidth intensive than sending the actual files. By the end of 2011, the Hong Kong-based business claimed it accounted for 4 per cent of total internet traffic, had 50m visitors a day and was the 13th most popular site on the internet.

2. Megaupload grew to offer video and music content - and offered reward payments to those who uploaded the most popular content. Almost entirely, the most popular content was copyrighted. The defendants say users were told not to upload copyrighted material and that a takedown service was offered to copyright holders who wanted their content removed. The US says the company was based on copyright violation.

3. Dotcom came to New Zealand with a chequered past, which he declared when seeking residency under a new government scheme to attract wealthy foreigners. He had convictions for hacking and insider trading, both of which had been wiped under Germany's clean slate act. His residency was granted by Immigration NZ in December 2010 after consultation with minister Jonathan Coleman. It later emerged Immigration NZ did so despite learning from the Security Intelligence Service that Dotcom was under investigation by the FBI.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

4. Dotcom has been considered for deportation from New Zealand on two occasions. His residency was immediately under review when he disclosed fresh sharetrading charges from Hong Kong. A deportation investigation was carried out, with the final decision to be made by Dr Coleman. It was decided Dotcom would not be deported, although Dr Coleman has never explain why. The Herald revealed he had not disclosed a dangerous driving conviction from NZ in 2009, even though his residency application obliged him to do so. After 15 months of investigation, no decision has been reached.

5. Dotcom and two others staying at his north Auckland mansion were arrested in a dramatic police raid involving New Zealand's elite anti-terrorist police unit and dozens of other officers. Court battles over the raid and the police involvement revealed inadequate search warrants and the illegal actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau - New Zealand's partner to the US National Security Agency. The revelation triggered an overhaul of NZ's intelligence agencies which is still going. Various strands of the case have gone to the Supreme Court, with the original extradition hearing delayed on more than 10 occasions.

6. There are multiple strands to the court case, including a damages case by Dotcom and one other defendant against the GCSB. Hollywood has also fought back, taking action to restrain and seize any of Dotcom's wealth. Megaupload pulled in an enormous amount of money for its owners in 2010, with Dotcom earning $40m that year. The US government has cited $226m damages in relation to copyright infringement.

7. Dotcom and his co-accused launched the Mega cloud storage service a year after the raid, in January 2013. It offered users a cloud storage service which end-to-end encryption. Dotcom raised $30m selling his shares in the business and made another $10m selling shares in the Baboom music site. The money was gone by November 2014.

8. Dotcom has consistently pushed claims of a conspiracy by the Hollywood lobbyist, the Motion Picture Association of America, to have Megaupload destroyed. He claims the chairman of the MPAA, Chris Dodd, used connections with US Vice President Joe Biden to have the Department of Justice and FBI go after his company.

9. The United States stepped up action towards copyright violation in 2010 with the creation of an Intellectual Property plan that rated the issue as one of national security. The moves were in line with MPAA lobbying which described Hollywood and its film industry as an economic cornerstone of the US. The US formed a federal task force go after filesharing websites considered to be flouting copyright law for their own benefit - and a target list of websites considered to be in violation of copyright law.

Related articles

New Zealand|Crime

Dotcom loses extradition battle

23 Dec 01:21 AM
Business

Ripening division sweetens outlook for Seeka

23 Dec 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Kauri protester hands himself in

23 Dec 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Family burgled five times

23 Dec 04:00 PM

10. Only one of the seven accused has been convicted. Andrus Nomm - paid $80,000 a year to work for Megaupload - was the most junior of those indicted by the US government. He cut a plea deal this year, has served his prison sentence and has since been released. His testimony has been used in the case against his former workmates. One other is in Germany, from where he cannot be extradited on Megaupload-related charges, and a second is believed to be in Estonia, which has no extradition agreement with the US.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|PoliticsUpdated

Ardern and Sharma haven't spoken since suspension

17 Aug 02:10 AM
New ZealandUpdated

Motorists urged to avoid Remutaka Hill Rd after crash

17 Aug 02:10 AM
New Zealand

MetService Auckland weather: August 18th

New Zealand

MetService Severe weather: August 17th

New Zealand|Crime

Auckland prison death: guard who allegedly pepper-sprayed inmate keeps name secret

17 Aug 02:00 AM

Most Popular

More rate pain ahead: OCR hiked by 50bp to 3% - RBNZ sees it peaking at 4.1%
BusinessUpdated

More rate pain ahead: OCR hiked by 50bp to 3% - RBNZ sees it peaking at 4.1%

17 Aug 02:00 AM
'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery
New Zealand|CrimeUpdated

'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery

17 Aug 01:32 AM
Premium
NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m
Business

NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m

17 Aug 01:04 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP