For now at least anyway. The New Zealand courts have stepped in and stopped the US from seizing Dotcom’s assets. But the fight isn’t over yet.
Back in March, the US decided that Kim Dotcom is a fugitive because he declined to enter the US, and that they were taking everything he owned. This was a particularly troubling claim, since it would mean that the US could take money and assets in other countries and just not give them back.
Fortunately the the High Court of New Zealand wasn’t having any of that and decided on Wednesday that Kim get’s to keep his possessions for now.
This is great news, considering how ridiculous the claim is. Dotcom had lost the US civil forfeiture case by default, since he didn’t head over to the US to defend himself.
It appears New Zealand is a place of sane legal workings, which doesn’t recognise such fun concepts of stealing people’s money in other countries.
Of course the case will be appealed, and appealed and so on for a long time yet.
But what are the assets that Kim Dotcom gets to hang onto for now?
Aside from millions of dollars in multiple bank accounts, Dotcom also has various luxury cars, four jet skis, his house (well OK, mansion), two 108” TVs, and a $10,000 watch. And probably a lot of other cool toys.
Despite the ongoing legal nightmare, Kim Dotcom still has big plans, like taking his political party to the US and starting his own Internet.