TorrentFreak

The U.S. government sees Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom as one of the biggest copyright criminals in history. Many others disagree, including Apple founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak, who visited Dotcom in New Zealand recently. CNET managed to get a few comments from Steve Wozniak on the Megaupload case, and it’s clear that Apple’s founder is on Dotcom’s [...]

The battle between Megaupload and the U.S. Government is heating up. In a new document filed at the federal court Megaupload’s legal team accuses the Department of Justice of making up its own rules, while disrespecting foreign sovereignty. The U.S. is intentionally maintaining “flawed criminal action” in a case that should be dismissed, they argue.

Despite the huge upheavals of the last few months, Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has announced that his answer to the music industry’s outdated business model is coming soon. The Megabox service will shift the balance of power away from multi-billion dollar corporations to the artists who actually make the music. “Artists rejoice. It’s coming and it will unchain you,” Dotcom says.

While the U.S. Government portrays Kim Dotcom as a dangerous criminal, others have no problem being associated with the Megaupload boss. Figures in the glitzy world of pop aside, Apple founder Steve Wozniak is a prime example. When Kim Dotcom was on house arrest, “Woz” came over to show his support.

While Hollywood paints file-hosting sites as the new piracy havens, a new study shows that these services are indispensable to many employees. A survey among 4,119 respondents from a wide range of companies shows that 66% use free file-sharing sites to share and store work documents. Among those working in professional services the percentage is as high as 87%.

In New Zealand Kim Dotcom’s legal team continues the battle over data that was seized from his home. Dotcom’s lawyer previously argued that the FBI illegally took his computers, depriving Megaupload’s founder from using it for his defense. The defense teams wants this data back as soon as possible, and a recent decision by the [...]

The U.S. Government has responded to Megaupload’s request to dismiss the criminal proceedings, and to return the money that was seized by the authorities. The U.S. attorney argues that it’s not a problem that Megaupload was not served and notes that it would be unprecedented to dismiss the case at this time. The Government further objects to returning any funds to aid Mega’s defense, as this money was “stolen” from the entertainment industries.