FBI officials' wishes of extraditing an American file-sharing website owner were stalled Wednesday when he was denied bail by a New Zealand court, according to reports.
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, accused of violating piracy laws and illegal downloads, will be held in custody by New Zealand authorities until at least February 22, CNN reports.
The site is said to have made $175 million in illegal file-sharing revenue, costing copyright holders over $500 million in pirated films, music, and other content. Dotcom earned $42 million last year alone, according to USA Today.
Dotcom has ties and assets throughout Europe and Asia, causing prosecutors to believe he is an extreme flight-risk. His lifestyle has been documented as lavish, Fox News reports, filled with exotic cars and a multi-million dollar home in Hong Kong,
CNN.com reports the site was shut down last Thursday, the day after Wikipedia blacked out its content to protest anti-piracy laws.
Dotcom told the USA Today, Dotcome said, "The fact is that the vast majority of Mega's Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue."
He suggested the accusation had created "a real misunderstanding and misconception of the business of Megaupload."
Leave a comment