Kim Dotcom Goes on Mega-Offense Against U.S. Copyright Case

[Poll_Blind]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/07/kim-com/
[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: none; border-radius: 0.3846em 0.3846em 0em 0em; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Kim Dotcom Goes on Mega-Offense Against U.S. Copyright Case[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top: none; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3846em 0.3846em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Facing extraditon and possibly decades in U..S. prison, Megaupload founder and filesharing kingpin Kim Dotcom is fighting back, internet-style, launching kim.com, in an attempt to foment a protest movement on his behalf.

Dotcom, currently on bail in New Zealand, argues the “the U.S. government has declared war on the internet” and is trying to convince the netroots community to vote against President Obama on Nov. 5 if the case isn’t dropped.

--snip--

“It is important for people understand how dangerous the Megaupload case is,” he said, adding that there “is no due process or rule of law, just politically driven aggression and destruction lobbied for by the MPAA.”

According to Dotcom, the FBI picked his business as “an easy target” with the goal being the total destruction of it without a trial.

Much more at the link. There are a couple of facets of this story which make it interesting, IMO:

First, the case against MegaUpload is exceptionally weak, IMO. I suspect the DoJ really thought they could get him to fold and plea out. I think this was a really big mistake on their part.

Second, the case against MegaUpload isn't so much about MegaUpload, it's about the MPAA/RIAA acting through the Obama administration to fire a shot across the bow of...well, basically everybody who offers any sort of file sharing. Which is pretty much every major player in the internet. Google, Microsoft, and everybody on down the ladder. I think whomever thought this was a showpiece idea is going to be sweeping hallways when this is all said and done. If they can't force Dotcom to plea out, I think it is almost inevitable that he will actually win.

Thirdly, there's an irony here: Kim Dotcom made a music video in an attempt to go after President Obama for the DoJ's actions. He's got more than a bit of the Larry Flynt school of revenge to him. The irony is that, as far as I've seen, both parties have been bought out in almost equal portions by the likes of the MPAA/RIAA. And when you hear Democratic or Republican congresspersons proposing some insane new form of copyright regulation, realize this is a dog-whistle to the MPAA/RIAA alerting them that they would make better lackeys for the industry than the other guy.

And finally, this isn't about right or wrong or legal or illegal, though you might genuinely think that. It's a battle between corporations, who just happen to be using the United States Government to do their foot-soldiering so they don't have to pick up the tab, especially if they lose. In a post-Citizens United America, you should really get used to this sort of thing occurring more often.

Or, put another way: Do you remember those old Godzilla movies where most of the action was between two giant monsters and the only thing you could make out was the buildings being knocked over, but the people were always too tiny to even be seen. Sorta like that.

Too tiny to be seen.

PB

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. K&R -- love the Godzilla comparison...

sadly very apt, and really applies to pretty much any issue where lobbyists have reduced the "debate" away from the merits of a subject, but rather merely a formula of "which one of you will spread the widest for us?"..

[PoliticAverse]

2. This is turning into a fascinating case. Note that the action against MegaUpload caused several ...

other file storage companies to suspend file-sharing.