Kim Dotcom, founder of the file-sharing site Megaupload, appeared before a New Zealand court for a preliminary hearing on the extradition request made by the United States.
Megaupload was taken down in January 2012 prior to the arrest of Dotcom. The online entrepreneur and three other defendants—Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato—are currently facing charges of copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit racketeering and money laundering as part of their knowledge and willful involvement in Megaupload. All of the charges were filed in the United States, hence the extradition request.
Nearly four years after authorities stormed into Dotcom's mansion and arrested him and his companions, the group was once again summoned before an Auckland court last Sept. 21, but this time for a preliminary hearing of the U.S. Department of Justice's plea to extradite the group to the United States for prosecution of the aforementioned cases.
According to the cases filed, the four men had knowledge that the file-sharing site Megaupload is being used for the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials, but the group failed to act in order to stop the practice either by deletion of the concerned files or the termination of access to them. Moreover, it was noted that Megaupload, along with related portals, caused the copyright owners losses amounting to $500 million. The group is alleged to have made $175 million through the listed illegal practices.
Dotcom, a German national who took up residence in New Zealand, along with his co-accused, have maintained his claim that they are innocent. The criminal cases against them were filed in the U.S. alone and none were filed before any of New Zealand's courts.
"What matters is that we are all innocent. No one here had any criminal intent," Dotcom said in an interview with Radio New Zealand on Monday.
The defendant's counsel argues that the frozen assets of the accused render them incapable to mount a defense in the U.S. Also, for any extradition request filed before a New Zealand court to have merit, the criminal offenses must be committed both in New Zealand and the requesting sovereignty, which in this case is the United States.
Appeals will be available for both parties regardless of the outcome of the hearing. It can take years before any final decision is released.
The main hearing for the extradition case is set to begin on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Photo: Tori Rector | Flickr
