Megaupload extradition delayed to 2013
July 10, 2012
A New Zealand court has delayed an extradition hearing for Internet tycoon and Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom until March 2013 because of questions about the search and seizure of evidence by the US where he faces charges of Internet piracy and fraud.
William Akel, one of Dotcom’s lawyers, said at a hearing scheduled for August has now been postponed to a tentative date of March 25th because two judicial reviews regarding illegal search warrants and evidence disclosure are still underway.
“It was inevitable that the hearing for August was going to be vacated because we have two existing cases in the High Court,” Akel said.
In its highest-profile investigation into online piracy, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation alleges that Dotcom led a group that has netted $175 million since 2005 by copying and distributing music, movies and other copyrighted content without authorisation. Dotcom’s lawyers say the company simply offered online storage.