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Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

stuff.co.nz

11–20 of 143 posts

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#11

I always found it quite odd that his arrest and the takedown of MegaUpload all happened during the day the internet protested SOPA... A bill that was supposed to "Stop Online Piracy", and yet they seem to take down websites just fine without said bill?

Unpopular but true fact: SOPA, while clumsy, was to codify and clarify takedown provisions, especially to countries where the US has less political influence. And also to extend DMCA-style protections to payment and ad providers.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#12
post #2

Process arguments aside (and there may be process arguments that demolish the US case here, and I care about process too, especially if they involve getting evidence in bogus ways): The US has Kim Schmitz dead to rights in this case. There's a whole mythology about what MegaUpload actually was, and it gets partial anecdotal support from people who, for instance, used it or had friends who used it solely as a sort of…

It's surprising that New Zealand bends over backwards for the United States like this.

There are numerous Latin American countries with known narcoterrorists and traffickers that refuse to extradite their criminals to the US, even though their criminals had a direct impact on the lives of US citizens.

On the other hand, Kim Schmitz' crimes are relatively benign compared to those committed by narcoterrorists. It just goes to show how backwards the priorities are for our politicians.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#13
post #12
post #2

Process arguments aside (and there may be process arguments that demolish the US case here, and I care about process too, especially if they involve getting evidence in bogus ways): The US has Kim Schmitz dead to rights in this case. There's a whole mythology about what MegaUpload actually was, and it gets partial anecdotal support from people who, for instance, used it or had friends who used it solely as a sort of…

It's surprising that New Zealand bends over backwards for the United States like this. There are numerous Latin American countries with known narcoterrorists and traffickers that refuse to extradite their criminals to the US, even though their criminals had a direct impact on the lives of US citizens. On the other hand, Kim Schmitz' crimes are relatively benign compared to those committed by narcoterrorists. It just…

I don't really understand your point. You blame our politicians for the fact that Latin American countries refuse to extradite criminals?

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#14
post #12
post #2

Process arguments aside (and there may be process arguments that demolish the US case here, and I care about process too, especially if they involve getting evidence in bogus ways): The US has Kim Schmitz dead to rights in this case. There's a whole mythology about what MegaUpload actually was, and it gets partial anecdotal support from people who, for instance, used it or had friends who used it solely as a sort of…

It's surprising that New Zealand bends over backwards for the United States like this. There are numerous Latin American countries with known narcoterrorists and traffickers that refuse to extradite their criminals to the US, even though their criminals had a direct impact on the lives of US citizens. On the other hand, Kim Schmitz' crimes are relatively benign compared to those committed by narcoterrorists. It just…

Or perhaps that New Zealand believes in prosecuting criminals while the Latin American countries with known narcoterrorists aren't that bothered?

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#15
post #2

Process arguments aside (and there may be process arguments that demolish the US case here, and I care about process too, especially if they involve getting evidence in bogus ways): The US has Kim Schmitz dead to rights in this case. There's a whole mythology about what MegaUpload actually was, and it gets partial anecdotal support from people who, for instance, used it or had friends who used it solely as a sort of…

Independently of whether he's a savoury character or not (and I'm pretty firmly in the not camp), what's your opinion of him being extradited to the US despite: not being a US citizen, never having visited the US, not having had the offending servers or the company in question in the US and generally the whole case seeming to have nothing at all to do with the US at all? Except that Hollywood is based there, of course. I'm really struggling to see how the US has any jurisdiction here.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#16
post #15
post #2

Process arguments aside (and there may be process arguments that demolish the US case here, and I care about process too, especially if they involve getting evidence in bogus ways): The US has Kim Schmitz dead to rights in this case. There's a whole mythology about what MegaUpload actually was, and it gets partial anecdotal support from people who, for instance, used it or had friends who used it solely as a sort of…

Independently of whether he's a savoury character or not (and I'm pretty firmly in the not camp), what's your opinion of him being extradited to the US despite: not being a US citizen, never having visited the US, not having had the offending servers or the company in question in the US and generally the whole case seeming to have nothing at all to do with the US at all? Except that Hollywood is based there, of cours…

not having had the offending servers...in the US

Not accurate. Read the indictment at the link on this page.

- Bottom of page 11: thirty-nine infringing copies of copyright motion pictures were present on their leased servers at Carpathia Hosting... in the Eastern District of Virginia

- Page 18:The Mega Conspiracy leases approximately 25 petabytes of data storage from Carpathia to store content associated with The Mega Site.

- It also looks like they leased servers in the US from Cogent, Leaseweb. They paid Carpathia $13M US to host Mega files in the US.

- They also used a US-based Paypal account to receive funds and pay the different hosts in the US.

- They made "reward" payments to US residents who provided copyrighted material.

Mega was running an illegal business in the US.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#17
I just want to say that many, many moons ago when I was still just a lad, I released my first ever computer program to the public. Very soon after someone uploaded a copy to megaupload without my permission. I submitted a copyright complaint to megaupload and it was swiftly removed. I will always remember that. Thank you Kim.

Once a month in my country someone shoots up a school and now we've had a terrorist attack. Meanwhile the FBI and DOJ is spending mine and my fellow citizens precious resources chasing copyright law half way across the world. I am ashamed to be an American. I am proud of what this country is supposed to stand for, but I am appalled by the criminal negligence and ignorance of our leaders.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#18
post #12
post #2

Process arguments aside (and there may be process arguments that demolish the US case here, and I care about process too, especially if they involve getting evidence in bogus ways): The US has Kim Schmitz dead to rights in this case. There's a whole mythology about what MegaUpload actually was, and it gets partial anecdotal support from people who, for instance, used it or had friends who used it solely as a sort of…

It's surprising that New Zealand bends over backwards for the United States like this. There are numerous Latin American countries with known narcoterrorists and traffickers that refuse to extradite their criminals to the US, even though their criminals had a direct impact on the lives of US citizens. On the other hand, Kim Schmitz' crimes are relatively benign compared to those committed by narcoterrorists. It just…

I have no reason to believe this is the reason, but New Zealand does benefit from the movie industry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_shot_in_New_Zea...

Keep in mind a 6 company oligarchy controls almost all of the media coming out of the United States.

The United States has a lot more resources than New Zealand. So there are plenty of other ways for them to incentivize cooperation. I just thought I'd throw out this random fact that a significant amount of films are shot there.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#19
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's surprising that New Zealand bends over backwards for the United States like this. There are numerous Latin American countries with known narcoterrorists and traffickers that refuse to extradite their criminals to the US, even though their criminals had a direct impact on the lives of US citizens. On the other hand, Kim Schmitz' crimes are relatively benign compared to those committed by narcoterrorists. It just…

I don't really understand your point. You blame our politicians for the fact that Latin American countries refuse to extradite criminals?

The point is that there was a full SWAT team raid, home invasion, and helicopters to catch a fucking movie pirate. That is what they expend their resources on. It's ridiculous.

Re: Kim Dotcom loses extradition case

#20
post #16
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Independently of whether he's a savoury character or not (and I'm pretty firmly in the not camp), what's your opinion of him being extradited to the US despite: not being a US citizen, never having visited the US, not having had the offending servers or the company in question in the US and generally the whole case seeming to have nothing at all to do with the US at all? Except that Hollywood is based there, of cours…

not having had the offending servers...in the US Not accurate. Read the indictment at the link on this page. - Bottom of page 11: thirty-nine infringing copies of copyright motion pictures were present on their leased servers at Carpathia Hosting... in the Eastern District of Virginia - Page 18: The Mega Conspiracy leases approximately 25 petabytes of data storage from Carpathia to store content associated with The M…

Yes, if I am running a scam on US users, using US services to do so, and hiring US employees to run the scam, then I am operating in the US, even if I never set foot there. You can argue any kind of racketeering is immune to foreign prosecution if you argue against Dotcom's extradition, and those arguments are no more valid.
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