Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Crickets / Music Kim Dotcom currently a free man
Posted by Miles Raymer on 02.22.12 at 01:25 PM
The news out of New Zealand today is that larger-than-life Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom is free on bail just over a month after he was arrested in a raid organized by the U.S. Justice Department to shut down the file-locker site, which prosecutors are calling a $500 million conspiracy to illicitly distribute copyrighted material. Judge Nevin Dawson's decision to release Dotcom was based largely on the fact that with his known assets seized and no evidence that he's hiding any secret stashes—the hidden accounts the feds have turned up have been empty, and Megaupload's CFO has gone on record saying that Dotcom's no good at holding on to money—the former multimillionaire is simply not a flight risk.
The conditions of Dotcom's bail stipulate that he stay off the Internet, which Dotcom's lawyer argues could be considered onerous in this day and age, but which the prosecution insists will keep him from organizing any move to relaunch Megaupload in a country that wouldn't be so inclined to cooperate with the U.S. government in another raid. The judge has also prohibited helicopters from traveling to Dotcom's property—which, by conjuring fantasies of a daring, helicopter-assisted flight from the law, at least restores a little of the trademark Dotcom flavor to the situation.
No word yet on whether Dotcom intends to go back to work on his no doubt totally insane solo album.
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