Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom nears US trial after decadelong extradition saga

Kim Dotcom, the founder of the defunct file-sharing site Megaupload, is closer to facing trial in the United States. After years of legal battles, New Zealand’s Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith signed an extradition order. The case dates back to 2012.

Dotcom’s legal issues began when U.S. authorities accused Megaupload of facilitating massive piracy, costing film studios and record companies more than $500 million. The platform allowed users to upload and share files, and it generated about $175 million in revenue before it was shut down.

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In 2012, New Zealand police acting on FBI orders raided Dotcom’s Auckland mansion with 70 officers. The raid, captured on video, was later turned into a widely publicized YouTube video.

Dotcom described the raid as a “Hollywood-style publicity stunt,” excessive for his arrest. He eventually reached a settlement with New Zealand police but has continued to face charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering.

“I considered all of the information carefully and decided that Mr. Dotcom should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial,” Goldsmith said in a statement on his ruling to allow extradition.

Dotcom, criticizing the decision on social media, described it as an act of compliance by “the obedient U.S. colony in the South Pacific.”

Dotcom, a German-born New Zealand resident, faces 13 charges in the U.S. Two of his colleagues, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, avoided extradition by accepting plea deals that resulted in prison terms in New Zealand in 2023. Another executive, Finn Batato, passed away in 2022.

U.S. authorities claim that Dotcom and his executives encouraged users to store and share copyrighted material, significantly impacting the entertainment industry.

As the extradition process progresses, Dotcom has vowed to appeal the decision, maintaining that he was being penalized for the actions of Megaupload’s users, not his own.