TorrentFreak

By seizing the servers of Megaupload, the U.S. Government also confiscated the personal belongings of many innocent users of the file-hosting service. One entrepreneur has asked the court to return his data and to assist this demand his lawyers are asking to unseal the search warrants. “Gaining access to the materials that served as a basis for the government’s seizure of his property can assist Mr. Goodwin and other innocent Megaupload users in determining whether the seizure was unreasonable,” Goodwin’s attorneys argue.

While Megaupload’s demise has been well publicized, the burning question remains. How will its imminent replacement fend off attacks from aggressive copyright holders and authorities? Today we have the answer. Kim Dotcom and business partner Mathias Ortmann say they have a plan that will not only make “Mega” raid proof, but will also give it an iron-clad defense against copyright infringement claims.

Earlier this week District Court Judge Liam O’Grady denied Megaupload’s request to drop the company from the indictment. The judge, however, noted that the cyberlocker could ask for a temporary dismissal until it is decided whether the U.S. Government can serve Megaupload. This ruling surprised Kim Dotcom and his legal team, who quickly filed a new motion pointing out that they already made this request during a hearing in July.

Megaupload’s request to dismiss the criminal proceedings against it on the grounds that the U.S. Government failed to serve the company, has been denied. District Court Judge Liam O’Grady believes that the authorities could still satisfy the federal rule if they can prove that Megaupload is an alter ego of Kim Dotcom. At the same time, however, the court leaves the door open for Megaupload’s legal team to file for a motion to dismiss the indictment until the government finds a way to issue the summons.

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom believes that he was spied on by New Zealand’s GCSB because this allowed the U.S. Government to have real-time access to all of his communications. New Zealand and the United States have an agreement to share all intelligence gathered by the secretive Echelon, and Dotcom says this is the primary reason GCSB was utilized for the secret surveillance.

The U.S. Department of Justice is ramping up its battle against online piracy. Yesterday another $2.4 million was dedicated to the ever-increasing threat, and Attorney General Eric Holder seized the opportunity to gloat about some recent anti-piracy successes. Besides claiming the Megaupload takedown as a clear victory, Holder also noted that the DoJ has trained, educated and met with thousands of foreign judges, prosecutors, investigators, and policymakers on piracy issues.

When the Megaupload file-hosting service was raided and shut down in January this year, it wasn’t just the company and its operators that were punished. Thousands of Megaupload users lost access to their legitimate data and for nearly 10 months have been in a state of limbo. Now, following pressure from one wronged user and his supporters at the EFF, it seems progress is being made . He will get his day in court, a judge has ruled.