Megaupload honcho sprung from slammer (for now)

Reports are emerging from the Land of the Long White Cloud that Kim Dotcom (formerly Kim Schmitz) has been sprung from prison after being granted bail. Dotcom, arrested in January in an international operation that shut down the Megaupload file locker site, is accused of heading an operation that conducted copyright violation …

[Anomalous Cowturd]

I wonder if he's still in NZ?

Or already on a slooow boat to China. ;o)

[Danny 5]

Re: I wonder if he's still in NZ?

Well, reports about his whereabouts stated he had an exit strategy, perhaps that's being unfolded right now.

One can only hope!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I wonder if he's still in NZ?

China?! He's a fat, pasty, white European weighing in at around 25 stone, where the hell is the tubby git going to be able to hide amongst a population who are known to be small of stature?!!

[David Eddleman]

I bet...

He must wait N days to get on that boat, and must unscramble some words to cross the gangplank.

[Anonymous Coward]

He'll disappear

He'll be long gone by the time his trial comes up

[Anonymous Coward]

"new evidence"?

Would this evicence show that he's not a flight risk? Or could it perhaps be more like that the FBI does not, in fact, have much of a case at all? Inquiring commentards want to know.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "new evidence"?

They probably just discovered he's rich, and as you know, rich people are above the law in the US, fnarr, fnarr. In all cynicism, the result is probably that they'll just get a list of IP addresses and accounts and go after grandmas and 13 year olds again. Business as usual. :(

[Bill Neal]

rich people above the law in the US

Is the same not true for the noble class in the UK?

[L1feless]

Re: Re: "new evidence"?

I would assume that the new evidence was the FBI severely underestimated the amount of legitimate business he had. Since they shut down the site there are probably a multitude of lawsuits pending. All of which I hope the NZ native forwards the legal bill to the FBI.

[g e]

Re: "new evidence"?

Maybe someone grew some and told Americaland to fuck off and find criminals harming people instead of their beloved shareholders and their crazy copy=deprivation theories. You know like actual theft (permanently depriving a person of something which is different to copying it), murder, rape, drug-peddling, etc

Yeah, I know, unlikely.

[Wayland Sothcott 1]

Re: "new evidence"?

They destroyed his business. He got some gaol time. If they can get his money then job done. No need for actual judgments to take place which might find him innocent of crime.

[PatientOne]

Re: Re: "new evidence"?

Check the BBC story on this: The new Evidence was that they believe all his assets have been seized, so he doesn't have the funds to be the flight risk the prosecution were reporting.

[T J]

Phase One....

Phase One, get boss out of jail. Underpants next.

This is well and truly Onnnnnnnnnn, and you know something? I really dont think the self-appointed commercial artistry 'gatekeepers' or their little bribed lapdogs in the government are going to be the winning side.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Phase One....

Was this in English ? or is it some form or phone text talk ?

[Tony Reeves 1]

New Evidence?

There is no report of new evidence, including in the linked report. The primary reason for granting bail appears to be that there is no new evidence of significant funds available. The FBI and supposedly NZ police have been unable to uncover the cash stash which the prosecution said existed and would have facilitated flight.

A bit like supposed weapons of mass distruction....

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll give 100:1 odds

That MegaLoad vanishes.

[Chronicle]

missing a technicality?

Many law enforcement entities have botched or ruined a case by overlooking one or more legal technicalities. Could this case be one of them?

It is anticipated that the extradition hearings will be scheduled for August. But, while the US has vocalized its desire to have Dotcom extradited, they have yet to file a "formal" request in writing - a request whose deadline is less than 2 weeks away (March 5th). If, in the fury of their legal activities, the US omits this tiny but important detail and lets the deadline pass, Kim Dotcom will walk free.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: missing a technicality?

Well don't bloody remind them!!

[Levente Szileszky]

Let me add some food for thought here...

The fat guy was about to launch a service that would have turn the entire online music distribuiton model upside down: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/01/24/is-this-the-real-reason-why-megaupload-was-shut-down/

And it was ALREADY RUNNING IN BETA, it seems: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2011/111221airvinyl

[Ian Yates]

Re: Let me add some food for thought here...

While interesting, it's not exactly a new idea. 7digital did it with indiestore, but it wasn't profitable enough (I don't know what % they took) and there are/were others (MusicGiants did this, but I can't seem to find them anymore).

If it happens, good luck to them, but I can't imagine the big labels being too scared of it.

[Andrew Norton]

Re: Re: Let me add some food for thought here...

BUT did 7digital have as it's CEO a music producer who is also married to a Big Name Star(TM)?

MegalUpload does, with Alecia Keys' husband taking over as CEO a little over a month ago, it was he who got the artists on board for the MegaSong etc.

Makes a bit of a difference...

[L1feless]

Re: Re: Let me add some food for thought here...

I can...Why would big labels not be a bit afraid of a music service which is started up by a site which has (Had) the daily volume of visitors which Megaupload did. The cross promotion alone would have been enough to get the new site off to a fantastic start. Let's not forget that new artists are far morel likely to recognize the benefits of direct to consumer (or as close to it as possible) business model. What ever they can do to maintain the rights to their own music catalog is a big win. All it would take is ONE song to go crazy and BAM! They make a small fortune.

[SleepyJohn]

Re: Re: Let me add some food for thought here...

If Megabox can pull off a system that provides the public with easily-accessed free music while paying remuneration directly to the artists and nothing to the existing middlemen, it seems to me that the big labels would have to be drunk not to be terrified.

[bobbles31]

I would hardly consider Megaupload a mega conspiracy. I'll bet that the riaa spent more than $175million on "lobbying" to get Sopa in front of the right people.

The real conspiracy is that politicians seem to devote so much time to protecting the profits of so few companies when I am sure that the larger part of the electorate really don't care about them.

[Tony Paulazzo]

Optional

>The FBI has said the Megaupload business netted more than $US175 million for its principals<

And have they released proof of this or are we supposed to simply believe them?

The entire control structure of America has become so corrupt and fear based it might be time to start again. As has the UK, Australia, Europe... in fact every fricking country on the planet. Time to press the reset switch Sim God.

Icon not fanboi but somewhat darker, sicker and wipe clean easi (c).

PS. Not a megaload fan, he's a wannabe gangster and probably not a nice guy.

[Gordon 10]

Re: Optional

Of course its true - how dare we doubt our lords and masters.

Now if only a mechanism existed that allowed free rein of thoughts and ideas across legislative boundaries - they would almost have to legislate it out of existence.

Oh wait a minute........

[PatientOne]

Re: Optional

'Time to press the reset switch Sim God'

Clock's ticking. Reset in 297 days and counting.

Damn them Mayans...

[Arnie]

Skip, skip skipping my bail...

Skipping my bail my darling

I hope he flee's and sets up shop elsewhere. megaupload2 anyone?

[Anonymous Coward]

May a bullet spare us from this sleazebag

He can run but they found him once and the next time he won't be so lucky.

[Anonymous Coward]

Put a bounty on his head

I'll bet if they place a 50,000 Euro bounty on his head, someone will bring him in - dead or alive.

[SleepyJohn]

Perhaps the US will have to 'prove his guilt' after all

From Stuff.co.nz --

"Prosecution acting for the United States Government had said that because Dotcom was "very wealthy" it was probable he had more bank accounts.

"However, Judge Dawson said this put Dotcom in the position of having to "prove a negative" and that assertion was not enough to imply his flight risk."

Who knows, maybe the US will be forced to prove his guilt. How quaint: just like the law used to have to do in the old days, before the MAFIAA took it over.

[Anonymous Coward]

It won't be difficult to prove he's a flight risk when he vanishes

Mr. Dotcom will never show in a courtroom the rest of his life if he has anything to say about it. 50 years with Bubba in an 8 x 10 box or being a fugitive from justice won't be a difficult decision for a person of means.

[Arfur Smiff]

Go the fat man!

[Anonymous Coward]

How fast can he waddle?

How fast can Megaload waddle?