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New Zealand court grants bail to Megaupload millionaire
Kim Dotcom - original name Kim Schmitz - the founder of file sharing site Megaupload, was granted bail by a New Zealand court yesterday after spending a month in custody on copyright infringement charges.
New Zealand: is Kim Dotcom the black sheep of the hosting world?
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The 38-year-old German who has New Zealand residency was arrested in January on a warrant issued by the US authorities. It is claimed that the website he founded has generated $175 million since 2005 by copying and distributing copyrighted material without authorisation.
Mr Dotcom’s lawyers deny the charges, claiming the company merely offered online storage.
Flight Risk
A North Shore District judge decided Mr Dotcom was not enough of a flight risk to keep in custody, as no new evidence of undisclosed funds has been found. The Financial Times reports that Mr Dotcom’s case was also helped by the fact that his three co-accused had all been granted bail, and it is unlikely that an extradition hearing will be made before the end of May. However, the paper also suggests the bail conditions are strict.
According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, Judge Nevin Dawson said: ‘The disposition that he is wealthy and must have more assets is not evidence … it would seem that he has every reason to stay (in New Zealand) to be with his family and to fight to keep his significant assets.’
Copyright infringement
America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation is attempting to extradite Mr Dotcom and his associates to the US so they can face charges of conspiring to commit racketeering, conspiring to commit money laundering, copyright infringement, and aiding and abetting copyright infringement over the internet through the Megaupload website.
Mr Dotcom’s lawyers deny the charges, claiming the company merely offered online storage.
Flight Risk
A North Shore District judge decided Mr Dotcom was not enough of a flight risk to keep in custody, as no new evidence of undisclosed funds has been found. The Financial Times reports that Mr Dotcom’s case was also helped by the fact that his three co-accused had all been granted bail, and it is unlikely that an extradition hearing will be made before the end of May. However, the paper also suggests the bail conditions are strict.
According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, Judge Nevin Dawson said: ‘The disposition that he is wealthy and must have more assets is not evidence … it would seem that he has every reason to stay (in New Zealand) to be with his family and to fight to keep his significant assets.’
Copyright infringement
America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation is attempting to extradite Mr Dotcom and his associates to the US so they can face charges of conspiring to commit racketeering, conspiring to commit money laundering, copyright infringement, and aiding and abetting copyright infringement over the internet through the Megaupload website.
