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INTERNET MOGUL KIM Dotcom is offering a US$5 million “bounty” to whistleblowers for information to help fight an online piracy case brought by the United States.
The Megaupload founder, who is resisting extradition from New Zealand, said he had to resort to offering the money because the deck was stacked against him in one of the largest copyright infringement cases ever brought.
Dotcom, whose Megaupload empire was shut down in January 2012, has long argued that US authorities, aided by close ally Wellington, illegally targeted him at the behest of Hollywood studios.
He told tech news website TorrentFreak.com that the multi-million dollar offer was aimed at helping him prove that allegation.
“We are asking for information that proves unlawful or corrupt conduct by the US government, the New Zealand government, spy agencies, law enforcement and Hollywood,” he said.
“It is the opinion of my legal team that disclosure of such information would be lawful. I would also guarantee any whistleblower coming forward would have the best legal representation at zero cost.”
Dotcom’s extradition hearing is scheduled to begin in Auckland on 7 July, although it has already been delayed several times amid legal wrangling over evidence disclosure.
If the 40-year-old and his three co-accused are sent to the United States they will face charges of racketeering, money laundering and copyright theft carrying potential jail terms of 20 years.
Dotcom has launched a new venture called Mega while on bail.
The US Justice Department and FBI claim Megaupload and related sites netted more than US$175 million in criminal proceeds, and cost copyright owners more than US$500 million by offering pirated copies of movies, TV shows and other content.
Major music labels and the film industry in the US have also filed lawsuits against the file-sharing site.
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Canada, gun ownership but with much less mass shootings.
Much like the rest of the world.
Something is broken in the USA.
@Barry Somers: Very true. Iceland is the same it is one of the countries with the least amount of gun crime, if not the least amount, but with the most amount of gun ownership per capita. There is definitely something seriously amiss in the American system
Guns aren’t the problem in the US. Vetting & enforcement is.
@León O’Keeffe: and the population of Iceland is??? It has relatively no crime, no particular need to own a gun either..
@León O’Keeffe: “but with the most amount of gun ownership per capita. T!
Iceland ranks 15th in the world for gun ownership per person, still quite high but not 1st place. USA is in 1st place.
Finland is another European country with a high rate of gun ownership, it’s in 10th place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_number_of_civilian_guns_per_capita_by_country
The US response to all conflicts is to respond with firepower. It brags about its military force, there is a constant attitude of ‘we’re better than you because we have better military hardware’. They glorify military service. The answer to all conflict or opinion is clouded by the possibility of use of firepower by government. There is a pervasive attitude that all can be solved by the gun and that life is cheap. These attitudes are not the same in Canada or Iceland or Switzerland where there is large gun ownership.
I blame video games.
@MAX POWER: I blame people
@Skybloo: I blame the weatherman
@Tweety McTweeter: I blame it on the rain
@Anne: blame it on the boogie
@Elma Phudd: don’t put your blame on me
@Elma Phudd: blame it on the sunshine !
He just never knew when he had gun too far!!!!
He’s not a careful gun owner
How old anyone get licenses for 100 guns ?
@Terry Cahill: could ..
Stupid owner collection 100 gun not protection lock vault and if someone break in would steal all gun then sell to crime gang to somebody kill that blame him for not have protection vault
@Brian Flavin: wow
@Brian Flavin: wow. Someone didn’t have their porridge this morning….
@Alan Wiley: Brian has hearing difficulties. I’ll let him explain if he wants to but that is up to him! He’s well known and liked on this forum! Feel free too disagree with him too if you want!
@Al Madzer: Brian has hearing difficulties. I’ll let him explain if he wants to but that is up to him! He’s well known and liked on this forum! Feel free too disagree with him too if you want!
@GerryCummins: ok thanks
@Al Madzer: or someone pissed in it
@Brian Flavin: still imagine a bank robber with a long gun.
@GerryCummins: lol sorry I don’t know you
Is the man okay the guns seem to be fine there’s only 100
Wonder how they seen the guns would they not needed a warrant to enter , unless he invited them in.
@Life is short enjoy it: it says in the article that they saw them around the house as soon as they entered which they did with his permission.
have your say