MegaUpload’s founder, Kim Dotcom, was arrested in New Zealand with at least three other MU employees as part of US federal actions against the file-sharing website. And the four had better get used to their cells, they’ll be there through the weekend as a their request for bail has been denied.
Dotcom, as well as Bram van der Kolk, Finn Batato and Mathias Ortman were arrested by Organised & Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (OFCANZ) as well as New Zealand police earlier today. They have already appeared in court on charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of criminal copyright infringement.
The group’s lawyers, Paul Davison QC and Guyon Foley, made the initial bail request, which was of course opposed by lawyers representing US authorities who wish to extradite the group back to US soil for prosecution. The four will be remanded to police custody until the next bail hearing set for Monday.
The US Department of Justice has accused a total of seven MU employees with involvement in an international piracy syndicate responsible for the dissemination of some $US500 million worth of copyrighted materials. [New Zealand Herald]