Recently, Kim DotCom has been in the news for trespassing copyrights laws through his website, MegaUpload. Since the website’s launch in 2005, it has along with other associated websites, made over $170 million. The website was mostly used for pirated content, mostly videos and films. Now the website has been shut down by the United States officials because it was designed intentionally to assist people in piracy while deceiving at the same time of being a legitimate business.
Taking this action against DotCom has been a record set straight by the United States government that it wants no more piracy. Especially coming out at the time when the petitions against passing of SOPA and PIPA acts were going on strong with everyone from the internet business owners to the internet users demanding freedom of the internet.
In the midst of all this, this DotCom arrest case has made one thing certain, that piracy is no freedom of the internet and it is a wrong use of what the technology is meant for. Piracy is a serious crime no matter what and there has to be clear line drawn as to what activities online are free of law-breaking.
According to a report, his $4.3 million home in New Zealand was also confiscated by the police for the reason that he did not pass the “good character test” which all those who are seeking property ownership in New Zealand should clear before buying any piece of land. This requirement obviously applies to the non-New Zealand citizens only. DotCom has been charged with internet piracy, money laundering, and racketeering.
Despite all this record, he was allowed to buy a small property adjoining his mansion according to the New Zealand Herald. This property was not initially considered to be part of his assets, when everything was sealed on January 19, the day of his arrest. An elite group of police officers put him under arrest and also took away his many cars, millions in cash and other such costly possessions.
At that time, it was not known that he had also recently bought land in New Zealand. The United States government wants to try him in a Virginia federal court for which it is seeking to extradition. The hearing regarding the matter is on February 22. As any criminal would, DotCom also considers himself innocent and thinks he has not broken any law.
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