TorrentFreak

Earlier today Kim Dotcom told a New Zealand court how police assaulted him during the raid on his Coatesville mansion in January this year. The Megaupload founder said after hearing a commotion downstairs he fled to a safe room and waited to be found but was eventually assaulted by the police. “And then they were all over me,” he said. “I had a punch to the face, boots kicking me down to the floor.”

In a hearing over Megaupload’s motion to dismiss the criminal case against the company on Friday, the U.S. Government claimed it can keep Megaupload’s assets even when the case is dismissed. The U.S. sees Megaupload’s property as proceeds of criminal activity. Ars reports that the Government says it can freeze Megaupload’s assets while waiting for [...]

Grammy award-winning artist Swizz Beatz has publicly defended his role with Megaupload. The U.S. authorities hinted recently they might involve Beatz more in the case, but the rapper/producer seems unfazed. “I’m a fan of music, i’m a fan of people who work hard and I would never be a part of anything that’s taking from artists when I fight so hard to give so much to the artist,” he said in a new interview. “You know what I was doing, I was giving artists 90% of the shit.”

Kim Dotcom has just released his long-awaited new song ‘Mr. President’, directed at United States President Barack Obama. In the song Megaupload’s founder says that Hollywood is taking over politics and that the Government is killing innovation. Dotcom released the song and video on his newly launched website, and both can be shared for free.

The battle between Megaupload and the U.S. Government continues unabated. Megaupload’s legal team has submitted a rebuttal to the Government’s claims that Megaupload can be brought to justice in the U.S. They accuse the Department of Justice of making up its own rules to keep the criminal proceedings alive. The entire case should be dismissed instead, Megaupload’s legal team argues.

In their most recent filing the U.S. authorities have mentioned Grammy winning rapper/producer Swizz Beatz as a potential U.S. representative for Megaupload. In response to Megaupload’s motion to dismiss based on lack of jurisdiction, the feds are trying to find a way to serve the company on U.S. soil. Beatz, husband of R&B superstar Alicia Keys, was previously listed as Megaupload’s CEO but the authorities say he is refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

The New Zealand judge handling the extradition case of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has dramatically stepped down from the role. Speaking at the NetHui conference last week, Judge David Harvey had voiced his feelings on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, describing the United States as “the enemy”. Accepting that the comments could lead people to question his impartiality in the case, Harvey has surrendered his role.