The Verge - Megaupload's legal battle with labels and the DOJ: the full story

Megaupload takedown may have increased legal movie downloads, says study

2013-03-08T03:39:53Z

Despite Kim Dotcom's protestations, there's no doubt that a lot of people used Megaupload to download pirated content. Now, a new study from Carnegie Mellon's Initiative for Digital Entertainment Analytics suggests that the shutdown could have increased sales and rentals of legal movie downloads. After studying two studios across 12 countries over 18 weeks, authors Brett Danaher and Michael D. Smith estimated that digital revenues were between 6 percent and 10 percent higher than they would have been were Megaupload still a going concern.

Kim Dotcom promises 50GB of free storage for Mega service launching on Saturday

2013-01-18T00:39:04Z

Kim Dotcom's Mega, the follow-up to Megaupload, is finally set to go live this weekend, and the flamboyant entrepreneur has taken to Twitter to share some details about the new service. Mega will apparently give all users 50GB of free cloud storage, making it a potentially compelling competitor to the likes of Dropbox (2GB free) and SkyDrive (7GB free) — if you're not worried about the service getting shut down like its predecessor, that is.

#Mega will have very generous limits for free users. For example you get 50GB storage for free ;-)
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) January 17, 2013

Dotcom says that his lawyers are working on a way to get MegaUpload users access to their previously stored files and premium status, but it...

Kim Dotcom reveals plans to build $330 million internet cable between US and New Zealand

2012-11-05T19:48:54Z

Kim Dotcom has revealed plans to revive the Pacific Fibre cable project that would connect New Zealand to the United States and lead to cheaper and faster internet for residents, The New Zealand Herald reports. The cable will cost about $330 million to build, which Dotcom says will be funded by his recently announced company Mega and other investors. While the venture would not yield free internet for residents, as has been commonly reported, Dotcom says the network would offer significantly higher speeds for a lower cost. Access to the fiber cable would be free for ISPs, while government agencies and businesses would be charged a premium.

Dotcom has recently taken to philanthropic gestures in the country after a New Zealand court ruled...

Kim Dotcom's extradition hearing won't happen until March 2013 due to evidence legality dispute

2012-07-10T06:02:03Z

Last month a New Zealand court ruled that the US acted outside of the law with an invalid warrant when searching Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom's home, and now we're starting to see the fallout — the extradition hearing has been put off until next year. According to the AP, the hearing has been moved from next month to March 2013 because of the ongoing dispute over evidence legality. Dotcom himself expressed frustration over the postponement, accusing the US of "dirty delays," and his lawyer told Wired that the controversial figure is looking forward to his day in court. For now, though, he'll have to wait things out at his extravagant New Zealand mansion.

FBI wants to turn over 40 pages from 22 million Megaupload emails in extradition hearing

2012-07-06T14:49:03Z

As the FBI and Kim Dotcom prepare for the upcoming trial over cyberlocker Megaupload, the fight continues over what evidence Dotcom will be allowed to see and present in his defense. Though a New Zealand judge ordered the FBI to copy 150TB of potential evidence from the Megaupload servers it seized, it's still not clear how much — if any — Dotcom will be given access to. Now, the FBI has apparently "cherry-picked" a mere 40 pages out of 22 million emails to hand over before an extradition hearing, sparking a disagreement that could delay it.

The head of Dotcom's legal team says the summary document is insufficient, requiring the team to argue a case with "their hands tied behind their backs." New Zealand's Crown lawyer, however, says...

Kim Dotcom search warrants ruled illegal by New Zealand court

2012-06-28T09:18:16Z

The latest twist in the Megaupload saga is here, and it comes courtesy of a New Zealand court. Reuters reports that High Court Judge Justice Helen Winkelmann ruled the search warrants used to raid Kim Dotcom's property illegal because they weren't specific enough about the offences in question.

Steve Wozniak speaks out in favor of net neutrality, supports Megaupload

2012-06-27T12:02:18Z

Steve Wozniak has today spoken out against the US government's handling of the Megaupload case, specifically its freezing of user accounts and attempts to extradite MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom from New Zealand. Wozniak says that plenty of people used Megaupload for legitimate purposes, and closing the site was not the right action to take. "You don't just shut down the whole street because somebody is speeding," Wozniak told the Associated Press.

"It's just kind of ridiculous what they did to his life."

Wozniak's helped fund the formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a non-profit organization which is currently embroiled in a legal battle on behalf of Megaupload users that want access to their entirely legal data....

Megaupload's Kim Dotcom teases new 'Megabox' project, reveals meeting with Wozniak

2012-06-21T19:52:54Z

Kim Dotcom, now charged with copyright infringement, wire fraud, and racketeering related to his former site Megaupload, is pushing forward with plans for a new venture. Earlier today, Dotcom tweeted about Megabox, something he described before his arrest as "a site that will soon allow artists to sell their creations direct to consumers and allowing artists to keep 90 percent of earnings." This is the first we've heard of Megabox since then, andTorrentFreak has confirmed with Dotcom that the project is "making progress."

The major Record Labels thought Megabox is dead. Artists rejoice. It is coming and it will unchain you. instagr.am/p/MHNAsPMkep/
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) June 20, 2012

Dotcom's work also apparently earned him a...