From The Top of  The Hill to The End of  The Hell  with FBI Airlines - January 20, 2012 - June 30, 2012

 


 Kim Dotcom Mocks FBI 30/6/12 - Dotcom Searches Illegal:Judge 28/6/12 - Youtube
Kim Dotcom Mocks FBI 30/6/12 - Dotcom Searches Illegal:Judge 28/6/12 -  Dailymotion
  Dotcom searches illegal: Judge 28/6/12
4Law - 29/6/12 18:15 Dotcom searches illegal: Judge

The High Court has ruled the police raid on internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom's Auckland mansion was illegal and the removal from New Zealand of cloned copies of hard drives seized was unlawful.Justice Helen Winkelmann found the warrants used did not adequately describe the offences to which they were related.The cloning of Dotcom's hard drives by the FBI, who took the copied disks back to the US was also ruled as invalid because Dotcom had never given consent.The court ordered an independent lawyer to review everything seized in the raid to determine what is relevant to the investigation and what is not.Relevant material is to be released to US authorities and everything else is be returned to Dotcom "forthwith''.

 DOTCOM  & ORS  V ATTORNEY-GENERAL HC AK CIV-2012-404-1928 [28 June 2012] 28/6/12 PDF
Media
Blow to FBI as court rules Dotcom police raid illegal  (WT)   Kim Dotcom raid illegal, New Zealand court rules  (Telegraph)
 FBI Would Like To Erase All Of Seized Megaupload Files 5/4/12
4Law - 5/4/12 22:00 PM FBI : Destroy Megaupload Forever

U.S. prosecutors say there's no need to preserve millions of digital files associated with the file-sharing site Megaupload, whose owners are charged with running a massive online piracy scheme.A federal judge in Alexandria is holding a hearing next week 16/4/12 on what to do with the 1,100 servers that store Megaupload's files.The company that owns the servers  Carpathia Hosting Inc.  says it is spending $9,000 a day to maintain them. It is leery of erasing files that might be needed as evidence.The government says it already copied the necessary evidence. It contends most of the files are illegal copies of copyrighted TV shows and movies. Those with legitimate files, the government says, should have saved backup copies elsewhere.

 RESPONSE OF US TO MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER BY CARPATHIA HOSTING INC.  2/4/12
4Law Exclusive Document -  Valcom v. Megaupload The Eastern District of Virginia Court 2/4/12
Microhits, Inc. et al v. Megaupload, Ltd. et al  21/3/12  PDF
4Law - 2/4/12 03:35AM Megaupload, Kim Dotcom Sued By Two Entertainment Companies

The first civil lawsuit has been filed against Megaupload in the aftermath of U.S. prosecutors indicting the company's founders on massive copyright infringement charges in January.
The new lawsuit comes from Microhits, which says it owns copyrights on sound recordings featuring Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone and others, along with Valcom, which says it owns copyrights on films and TV shows featuring Denzel Washington, Bill Murray, Jackie Chan and others. The two companies are suing Megaupload, founder Kim Dotcom, chief technology officer Mathias Ortmann, and Vestor, Ltd. for unspecified millions of dollars. The plaintiffs are being represented by Thomas Dunlap at Dunlap, Grubb & Weaver, the same attorney who previously filed pathbreaking litigation against tens of thousands of BitTorrent pirates on behalf of Voltage Pictures and Nu Image.The complaint, filed in Virginia federal court 21/3/12, cites a White Paper on piracy put out by the Obama Administration and also echoes many of the same allegations made by prosecutors in their indictment against Megaupload's founders.The lawsuit rehashes Megaupload's popularity, its operations (including its pay service for premium users) and some of the alleged conversations among Megaupload employees that have now become infamous. For example, it quotes an alleged e-mail by Megaupload Programmer-in-Charge Bram Van der Kolk as saying, "we have a funny businesss...modern day pirates :)".The bulk of the allegations include a list of Megaupload URLs that purportedly contained protected material. The plaintiffs appear to have identified these by searching Google. Here's a paragraph that's representative of the allegations:"During time periods pertinent to this case and through January 19, 2012, inclusive, the Defendants maintained the urls http://www.megaupload.com?d=cud9..82 and http://www.megaupload.com/?d=dull..99. Upon information and belief, such webpages were used to disseminate unauthorized copies of copyrighted works by Christina Aguilera, including those to which Plaintiff Microhits holds copyright ownership."(hollywoodreporter)

4Law - 20 - 31/3/12 - 2 FBI Forensic Agents Imaging Kim Dotcom 7 Hard Drives in NZ & Shipping The Copies With FedEx to US FBI HQ
FBI v. Megaupload File Sharing and The Domino Effect in Flickr Slideshow 20/1/12 - 29/2/12
FBI Operation v. Convicted Hacker Kim Schmitz Dotcom in House  & Court NZ & The Domino Effect...  & Out - Flickr  300 Photos
Kim Dotcom on Bail v. FBI in Defence Speech 23 Minutes 29/2/12  - DayliMotion
Kim Dotcom Remains on Bail 29/2/12 Outside High Court in Auckland - Youtube
Kim Dotcom Remains on Bail 29/2/12 Outside High Court in Auckland - DayliMotion
 Auckland High Court - Crown prosecutor tells High Court Dotcom still has funds to flee 28/2/12
Internet Hacker Kim Dotcom is back at the Auckland High Court this afternoon hoping to hang on to his freedom. The Crown prosecution is fighting to overturn last week's decision to grant him bail.Dotcom to wait on bail decision.Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom will have to wait until tomorrow before finding out if he is to be sent back to prison.
The High Court judge hearing the appeal against a decision to grant the internet millionaire bail has reserved his decision until tomorrow afternoon. 28/2/12
NZ Crown Appeals Kim Dotcom Bail Decision in Auckland High Court Tuesday 28/2/12 - Youtube
NZ Crown Appeals Kim Dotcom Bail Decision in Auckland High Court Tuesday 28/2/12 - DayliMotion
Kim Dotcom San Francisco lawyer Ira Rothken says Megaupload did nothing wrong...  28/2/12
Megaupload Ping Pong in NZ Court    22/2/12   Extradition Dcision Months Away
4Law - 22/2/12 10:35AM  Megaupload Founder Kim Dotcom Bailed - He has to wear an electronic ankle bracelet ...
No Internet...Extradition Hearing August 2012...

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has been granted bail. Dotcom appealed a decision to deny him bail in the North Shore District Court today and his bid was successful.
The judge has decided that the millionaire, who is accused of internet piracy, was not enough of a flight risk. In granting bail this morning, Judge Nevin Dawson said at the North Shore District Court that officials had investigated Dotcom's potential access to funds and "none of significance" had been found. Judge Dawson said it was "highly unlikely" that he had other financial resources available to him that had not already been seized. Prosecution acting for the United States Government had said that because Dotcom was "very wealthy" it was probable he had more bank accounts. However, Judge Dawson said this put Dotcom in the position of having to "prove a negative" and that assertion was not enough to imply his flight risk. Four new bank accounts had been discovered in the Philippines but they were empty, he said. It had also arisen that Finland and Germany, where Dotcom has citizenship, do have treaties with the United States which would allow him to be prosecuted there if he did skip the country. The chief financial officer of Megaupload submitted evidence from Hong Kong saying that Dotcom was "highly disorganised" when it came to financial matters, which accounted dozens of expired credit cards found when police raided his Coatesville mansion. However, Judge Dawson said the most significant change since Dotcom was first arrested was the passing of time. The first bail hearing took place soon after a dramatic arrest at his Coatesville mansion north of Auckland and a large amount of uncertainty surrounded Dotcom's capacity to flee. Since then it was revealed that he did not have the resources to get out of the country and no new bank accounts had been discovered. "The suspicion that Mr Dotcom is very wealthy is not evidence of further assets and cannot be used against him." Judge Dawson granted bail to his Coatesville house with the conditions that he did not have access the internet, no helicopter be allowed to travel to the property, that he would not travel more than 80km from the property and that he give police 24 hours notice of any appointment that required him to leave the property, except for medical emergencies. Dotcom's lawyer Paul Davison QC said the condition that his client had no access to internet was unrealistic. It was an international case where Dotcom needed to be in contact with lawyers in the United States to prepare his case. "It's like saying he shouldn't  have access to a telephone, it's such a fundamental means of communication." Dotcom is due to appear in court again on August 2012 for an extradition hearing.

4Law Special Megaupload Document from NZ Court  29/2/12
KIM   DOTCOM  Applicant  v.  UNITED  STATES  OF AMERICA  Respondent  22/2/12 PDF
Kim Dotcom Speaks in Auckland District Court on Wednesday 22/2/12 Free on Bail - Youtube
Kim Dotcom Speaks in Auckland District Court on Wednesday 22/2/12 Free on Bail - DayliMotion
New Fresh Rock (90 Pages - New Update Indictment /Mega Servers) for The Head of  The Fate Hacker Kim Dotcom in NZ Jail 16/2/12
Greetings from U.S. Attorney’s Office in Virginia for Kim Dotcom - The Extradition Hearing Starts in NZ Next Week in 22/2/12 
USA v. Convicted Hacker Kim Schmitz Kim Dotcom - Superseding Indictment 16/2/12 PDF
4Law 18/2/12  Kim Dotcom Superseding Indictment

The Justice Department on Friday 17/2/12 said that more counts of copyright infringement and fraud have been added to its indictment of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom and several of his associates. The Supersedig Indictment stacked on more charges and carried details that appeared to have been gleaned from the computer servers seized during the FBI-initiated police raids last month.The Superseding Indictment also cast light on how prosecutors say Megaupload.com was being used. The file-sharing site claimed to have had more than 180 million registered users, but in fact, the Superseding Indictment says that Megaupload’s internal databases show that the site had only 66.6 million as of Jan. 19, 2012. Furthermore, the records reveal that only 5.86 million of these users ever uploaded a file to either Megaupload.com or Megavideo.com, prosecutors said. The Supersedig Indictment offers some details on one particularly egregious user. The person, known as “VV” in the company’s records, uploaded approximately 16,950 files to Megaupload’s sites. These items were viewed more than 34 million times and included what prosecutors said were infringed copies of movies such as “Ocean’s Thirteen,” Pixar’s “Ratatouille, and “Evan Almighty,” which stars Steve Carell. 

  New Zealand Police Ten One Magazine Issue No. 354 February 2012 -  Careful Planning Behind Dotcom Swoop  12/2/12 PDF
OFCANZ  9/2/12 Kim Dotcom Mansion Seized

Internet piracy-accused Kim Dotcom's mansions has been seized by officials this morning. Guy Sayers, of the Official Assignee, confirmed that staff had seized the house along with items including jet skis, another car and jewellery. Sayers said a new restraining order had been granted over the property on February 1. "We are affecting the original order, still carrying out duties under that… and also dealing with a new restraint over a property in that region." Crown Law, who were dealing directly with the FBI, had issued the order, he said. 

FBI v. Megaupload - Kim Dotcom Mansion Seized 9/2/12  - DailyMotion
Megaupload Domino Effect 6/2/12
Megaupload Effect Closed Ukrainian File Sharing Site EX.UA Opens Partially After DDoS Attacks - Youtube
Megaupload Effect Closed Ukrainian File Sharing Site EX.UA Opens Partially After DDoS Attacks - DailyMotion
Megaupload Domino Effect  -  File Sharing  Digital Suicide  BTunkie Closed - 1 
Megaupload Domino Effect - File Sharing  Digital Suicide  BTJunkie Closed - 2
4Law Special Megaupload Document from NZ Court  3/2/12
Judge David McNaughton Decision - 20 Pages 4 MB Must Read...3 Different Passports 25 Credit Cards...Tapping Skype...Convictions...WoW...
KIM   DOTCOM  Applicant  v.  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA  Respondent  25/1/12 PDF
Like to FBI Poster - Kim Dotcom Present The FBI Poster to The Judge Raynor Asher in Auckland High Court on Friday 3/2/12
Kim Dotcom Speaks in Auckland High Court on Friday 3/2/12 Denied Bail Again - Youtube
Kim Dotcom Speaks in Auckland High Court on Friday 3/2/12 Denied Bail Again - DailyMotion
FBI Megaupload Contractors Cinema Balash 2012 Edition
 EFF Megaupload Data Seizure 1/2/12
EFF formally requested the preservation of the data seized when the U.S. government shut down Megaupload.com and related sites in January of 2012, notifying the court and attorneys involved in the case that Megaupload’s innocent users deserve a fair process to control and retrieve their lawful material.
EFF Letter to Court 1/2/12 PDF
Carpathia Hosting to Assist EFF...  31/1/12 -  www.MegaRetrieval.com
Megaupload Contractor Carpathia Hosting Inc. : Don’t Call us for Megaupload Data 30/1/12 PDF
Millions could lose Megaupload data 9:59AM Tuesday January 31, 2012

Lawyer for Megaupload, Ira Rothken, told the Associated Press that of the service's 150 million registered users, at least 50 million face losing their data. (TVNZ)

FBI Returned The Files of Megaupload  Legitimate Users to Megaupload Contractors Control  30/1/12
4Law 30/1/12 - USDOJ E-Mail to 4Law Attached 2 Documents

Hi...

I have attached the grand jury indictment for this case. In addition, the attached letter provides notice to counsel representing those charged in the alleged Mega conspiracy that the U.S. government has completed its execution of search warrants at Carpathia Hosting, Inc., and Cogent Communications, Inc., and no longer controls access to the content hosted at these locations. The letter informs counsel that it is possible that the providers will choose to delete this content in the near future and gives them a chance to address this directly with the provider.

Best...

4Law Special Megaupload Trial Documents from U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia   30/1/12
FBI Returned The Files of Megaupload Legitimate Users to Megaupload Contractors  27/1/12 PDF
USA v. Convicted Hacker Kim Schmitz Kim Dotcom - Indictment 5/1/12 PDF
 Megaupload Users v. FBI v. Megaupload File Sharing
Usuaris de Megaupload denuncien l'FBI
Més de cinc-cents afectats catalans anuncien una demanda conjunta contra l'FBI pel tancament de la web de descàrregues Megaupload.
Empreses i particulars han perdut milers de dades i arxius privats.
Usuaris de Megaupload denuncien l'FBI Catalonian Party to Sue FBI in Spain on Megaupload Files - Youtube
Usuaris de Megaupload denuncien l'FBI Catalonian Party to Sue FBI in Spain on Megaupload Files - DailyMotion
 CBS:Megaupload users plan to sue FBI over deleted files  - January 27, 2012 2:06 PM

(CBS) - Megaupload users are organizing a complaint against the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations because of a mass wipe of the website's files last week. 
The website TorrentFreak reported, Pirate Parties around the world are compiling a list of people who want to file a joint complaint against the FBI. 
"The widespread damage caused by the sudden closure of Megaupload is unjustified and completely disproportionate to the aim intended," a representative from the Pirate Party announced. Megaupload was taken down last Thursday after the site's founder Kim Dotcom was arrested in New Zealand for piracy and money laundering.
The Pirate Party is accusing the FBI of violating "Articles 197 and 198 of the Spanish Penal Code by misappropriating personal data."
Megaupload is a file-sharing site used for files too large to send via email. While the infrastructure of the site itself is not illegal, the Motion Pictures Association of America alleges the majority of files shared on Megaupload are in violation of copyright laws. The site made money by charging a subscription free for faster downloads and advertisements. (CBSNews)

TorrenFreak :Megaupload Users Plan to Sue The FBI over Lost Files

In most reports following the MegaUpload shutdown, the site is exclusively portrayed as a piracy haven.However, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people used the site to share research data, work documents, personal video collections.As of today, these people are still unsure whether they will ever get their personal belongings back.In a response, Pirate Parties worldwide have started to make a list of all the people affected by the raids, and they are planning to file an official complaint against the US authorities.“The widespread damage caused by the sudden closure of Megaupload is unjustified and completely disproportionate to the aim intended,” they announce.
“For this reason Pirates of Catalonia, in collaboration with Pirate Parties International and other Pirate Parties, have begun investigating these potential breaches of law and will facilitate submission of complaints against the US authorities in as many countries as possible, to ensure a positive and just result.”“This initiative is a starting point for legitimate internet users to help defend themselves from the legal abuses promoted by those wishing to aggressively lock away cultural materials for their own financial gain.”Legal experts and citizen rights groups have taken an interest in the issue as well, TorrentFreak learned. The Pirate Parties are the first to make an inventory of the damage, but not the last.
MegaUpload users who want to join in on the action can do so here. (TorrentFreak)

OFCANZ  25/1/12  NZ District Court Decision: Megaupload Founder Convicted Hacker Kim Dotcom to Stay in Jail, Denied Bail

Convicted Hacker Kim Schmitz Dotcom to Remain in Jail till  22/2/12 the day of the hearing of a US application for extradition. 

In Court Inside - The Judge David McNaughton  Finished This Second His Decision Kim to Sleep Without Girls 30 Days... 25/1/12
In Court Inside - The Judge Finished This Second His Decision Flight Risk Kim to Watch Girls only Behind The Glass... 25/1/12
OFCANZ  23/1/12 Megaupload Operation With 4 FBI Agents in NZ

4 people have been arrested in the Auckland area as part of an operation led by the USDOJ targeting large scale criminal copyright infringement and money laundering around the world.The arrests, carried out by the OFCANZ  & NZ Police, follow a mutual legal assistance request from US to arrest of individuals for the purpose of extradition. The FBI is investigating a group of people who are alleged to be engaged in and facilitating criminal copyright infringement and money laundering on a massive scale.The group, known as the “Mega Conspiracy” allegedly operates Megaupload.com, an Internet website that offers file hosting and distribution services. This site has been accused by the USDOJ of reproducing and distributing infringing copies of all types of copyrighted works, including movies, television programmes, music, software and books.The estimated harm to copyright holders is believed to be more than US$500 million.The 4 people were arrested at addresses in Coatsville and Orakei. A total of 10 search warrants were executed at residential and business addresses across Auckland. Those arrested have German, Dutch and Finnish citizenship. Some are resident in New Zealand. They appear in the North Shore District Court .Assets have been seized including luxury cars with an estimated total value of up to NZ$6m. These include a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe valued at over NZ$500,000. Over NZ$10m has also been seized from NZ financial institutions. These have been secured by New Zealand's Official Assignee pending the outcome of legal proceedings.Detective Inspector Grant Wormald of OFCANZ says the arrests were the result of several months coordination with the FBI & USDOJ."The FBI contacted NZ Police in early 2011 with a request to assist with their investigation into the "Mega Conspiracy" NZ Police have worked with the US authorities over recent months to effect successful operation. All the accused have been indicted in US. We will continue to work with the US authorities to assist with the extradition proceedings." said Mr Wormald.4 FBI agents are part of the operation in NZ.

 China Brasil Germany TV`s : Megaupload Piracy Arrest 23/1/12 Hacker Kim Schmitz Dotcom - Youtube
China Brasil Germany TV`s : Megaupload Piracy Arrest 23/1/12 Hacker Kim Schmitz Dotcom - DailyMotion
 New Zealand TV : Megaupload Piracy Arrest 23/1/12 Hacker Kim Schmitz Dotcom - Youtube
New Zealand TV : Megaupload Piracy Arrest 23/1/12 Hacker Kim Schmitz Dotcom - DailyMotion
FBI v. Megaupload Operation in 9 Countries - Youtube
FBI v. Megaupload Operation in 9 Countries - DailyMotion
FBI File Sharing v. Megaupload File Sharing 
FBI Clip Megaupload File Sharing Stand for Group Portrait File Sharing No Music - Youtube
FBI Clip Megaupload File Sharing Stand for Group Portrait File Sharing No Music - DailyMotion
FBI Clip Megaupload File Sharing Stand for Group Portrait File Sharing No Music
Megaupload Founder Convicted Hacker Kim Schmitz Kim Dotcom in North Shore District Court  NZ  23/1/12
Lessons Learned 
 4Law Paid Cash...  - 4Law Uploaded 293 Videos  to MegaVideo & Embedded to 4Law Site . 4Law Have Backup in Youtube & Dailymotion - No Problem...Shoot Him Free...
Megaupload, Megavideo Shutdown: Not All Users Broke the Law  - International Business Times US 23/1/12
OFCANZ  20/1/12 Megaupload Operation "Dotcom Mansion" Search Continues During The Night  NZ

Detective Inspector Grant Wormald of OFCANZ  says the operation was a successful one despite a less than straightforward entry to the Dotcom Mansion:"Police arrived in two marked Police helicopters. Despite our staff clearly identifying themselves Mr Dotcom retreated into the house and activated a number of electronic locking mechanisms. "While Police neutralised these locks he then further barricaded himself into a safe room within the house which officers had to cut their way into."Once they gained entry into this room they found Mr Dotcom near a firearm which had the appearance of a shortened shotgun. "It was definitely not as simple as knocking at the front door" said Mr Wormald. 

Detective Inspector Grant Wormald of OFCANZ
The Hacker House : Inside Parking Several Mercedes Vehicles - "Dotcom Mansion" 186 Mahoenui Road, Coatsville, Auckland  NZ