Points on the Kim Dotcom saga

A judge yesterday ruled Kim Dotcom and his co-defendants are eligible for extradition. Here’s what you need to know: Kim Dotcom set up Megaupload in 2004 and launched it in 2005 based on an idea that sending links to files was less bandwidth intensive than sending the actual files. Megaupload grew to offer video and music content — and offered reward payments to those who uploaded the most popular content. Almost entirely, the most popular content was copyrighted. The defendants say users were told not to upload copyrighted material and that a takedown service was offered to copyright holders who wanted their content removed. The US says the company was based on copyright violation. Dotcom came to New Zealand with a chequered past which he declared when seeking residency under a new government scheme to attract wealthy foreigners. He had convictions for hacking and insider trading, both of which had been wiped under Germany’s clean slate act. His residency was granted by Immigration NZ in December 2010. Dotcom has been considered for deportation from New Zealand on two occasions. His residency was immediately under review when he disclosed fresh sharetrading charges from Hong Kong. It was decided Dotcom would not be deported. The Herald revealed he had not disclosed a dangerous driving conviction from New Zealand in 2009. No decision has been reached. Dotcom and two others staying at his north Auckland mansion, and one in Orakei, were arrested in a dramatic raid involving New Zealand’s elite anti-terrorist police unit and dozens of other officers. There are multiple strands to the court case, including a damages case by Dotcom and one other defendant against the GCSB. Hollywood has also fought back, taking action to restrain and seize any of Dotcom’s wealth. Dotcom and his co-accused launched the Mega cloud storage service a year after the raid, in January 2013. Dotcom has consistently pushed claims of a conspiracy by the Hollywood lobbyist, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), to have Megaupload destroyed. The United States stepped up action towards copyright violation in 2010 with the creation of an Intellectual Property plan that rated the issue as one of national security. The moves were in line with MPAA lobbying. Only one of the seven accused has been convicted. Andrus Nomm — paid $80,000 a year to work for Megaupload — was the most junior of those indicted by the US Government. He cut a plea deal this year, has served his prison sentence and has since been released.