The usual police response to copyright infringement is a stern notice and a fine. But if you’re Kim Dotcom, with the ire of the FBI against you, you get a raid bigger than the one that killed Bin Laden. It was all caught on camera.
While Kim and his family were sleeping, multiple helicopters, police vans, dogs and heavily armed New Zealand special law enforcement agents stormed his home. Dotcom alleges he was punched, kicked and pinned to the ground by Kiwi cops, who say the massive use of force was justified because Dotcom could have destroyed evidence. But as Kim is quick to point out, the FBI had already seized his data centre — and all the MegaUpload evidence along with it.
An ongoing investigation will determine whether the huge police strike was justified, but as you can see in the courtroom footage above, New Zealand’s government is dubious of this American-spurred mega-raid, more fitting for a drug kingpin than an MP3 pirate. [3 News]