[x-pubpol] Feds Shutter Megaupload, Arrest Executives

[Joly MacFie]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/megaupload-indicted-shuttered/

Megaupload, the popular file-sharing site, was shuttered Thursday and its
executives indicted by the Justice Department in what the authorities said
was “among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United
States.”

Seven individuals connected to the Hong Kong-based site were
indicted<http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/January/12-crm-074.html>
on
a variety of charges, including criminal copyright infringement and
conspiracy to commit money laundering. Four of the members of what the
authorities called a “racketeering conspiracy” were arrested Thursday in *
Aucklund*, New Zealand, the authorities said.

[3/10 for spelling, wired . J :)]

One of those arrested was Kim Schmitz, aka Kim Dotcom, Megaupload’s
director. His attorney, Ira Rothken of California, said neither he nor his
client was given the opportunity to surrender. Kim was arrested without
notice, he said.

“We’re looking into what’s going on,” Rothken said in a telephone interview.

Vistiors to the Megaupload site, which gets about 50 million hits daily,
were greeted with a message from the Justice Department.  ”This domain name
associated with the website Megaupload.com has been seized pursuant to an
order issued by a U.S. District Court.”

The government said the site facilitated copyright infringement of movies
“often before their theatrical release, music, television programs,
electronic books, and business and entertainment software on a massive
scale.”

The indictment <http://www.scribd.com/doc/78786408/Mega-Indictment> came as
the Justice Department said it seized 18 domains in all connected to
Megaupload. The agency said it executed more than 20 search warrants in the
United States and eight countries, seizing $50 million in assets.
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