If you’ve ever watched a movie or TV show online, you’ve probably got Kim Dotcom to thank. He’s the guy behind Megaupload, the file sharing service which was brought down in a torrent of controversy, ending in his arrest and the seizure of his assets.
The arrest was enormously controversial considering the fact that he was in New Zealand at the time, outside of US jurisdiction, and that questionable involvements from lobbyists to the US government lead to his arrest.
His lawyer is taking a human rights angle with his case, and says the following:
With this attempt to “colonize” the global internet under U.S. laws, Washington is quickly making a bad name for itself, and putting its considerable influence on the wrong side of digital rights, free markets, and competitive innovation. They do this in the name of protecting a broken business model, subsidizing monopolies, and seeking to destroy crucial online functions instead of adapting to the incredible opportunity afforded to them through mass connectivity. We deserve better, we can do better, and everyone can benefit from a more reasonable approach focused on the best interests of the public, not the best interests of lobbyists and the politicians in their pockets.
It’s clear that the arrest was a huge PR backfire for the US government. The movie industry is complicit in this as well, since Megaupload, Dotcom’s brainchild, was one of the largest distributors of free movie files online.
Severe changes will have to be made, especially since the government turned Dotcom from an arrogant, generally-disliked figure into a cult hero.
