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Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz in Germany in 1974, founded the internet file-hosting company Megaupload. In 2012 the FBI began seeking his extradition to the US for copyright infringement.

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All Content on this topic

Kim Dotcom during a court hearing in Auckland

Megaupload's Kim Dotcom to be extradited to United States

While New Zealand's justice minister said Kim Dotcom would be extradited to the US, Dotcom insists he is "not leaving."
CrimeAugust 15, 2024
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Kim Dotcom's appearance in an Auckland court in 2015

Kim Dotcom enters final extradition fight

The Megaupload founder faces charges of copyright infringement and racketeering if extradited to the United States.
Law and JusticeJune 10, 2019
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Kim Dotcom loses appeal against US extradition

Is the net closing on Kim Dotcom? He has one avenue of appeal left.
BusinessJuly 5, 201801:27 min
Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom loses extradition appeal

A ruling by New Zealand court brings Kim Dotcom closer to facing charges of racketeering and copyright breach in the US.
CrimeJuly 5, 2018
Kim Dotcom

New Zealand: Kim Dotcom wins a round in court

The Human Rights Tribunal has ordered the government to pay file-sharing mogul Kim Dotcom €53,000 for privacy breaches.
BusinessMarch 26, 2018
Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom settles over raid

Internet mogul Kim Dotcom has reached a monetary settlement with New Zealand police over a 2012 raid on his mansion.
CrimeNovember 3, 2017
Court case against Kim Dotcom in New Zealand

Supreme Court: US government can seize Kim Dotcom's assets

The decision paves the way for Dotcom to lose up to $40 million.
CrimeOctober 2, 2017
Megaupload Kim Schmitz

NZ court rules Kim Dotcom can be extradited

The German-born internet entrepreneur is expected to appeal the judgement, and the legal battle could go on for years.
Law and JusticeFebruary 20, 2017
Neuseeland Gericht genehmigt Auslieferung von Kim Dotcom an USA

Kim Dotcom to livestream extradition appeal

Kim Dotcom's appeal against extradition to the US will be streamed on YouTube from the Auckland High Court.
August 30, 2016
Screeenshot Twitter Kim Dotcom

Livestream of Dotcom case

Internet mogul Kim Dotcom has argued for his US extradition case to be livestreamed to ensure a transparent hearing.
August 29, 2016
Neuseeland Gericht genehmigt Auslieferung von Kim Dotcom an USA

The legal saga of Kim Dotcom

The legal saga of one of the world's most recognizable internet entrepreneurs enters a new phase on Monday.
August 26, 2016
Kim Dotcom speaks to the media following hs bail hearing at Auckland District Court on December 1, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand.

New Zealand judge: Kim Dotcom can be extradited

German tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom loses a legal battle against being extradited from New Zealand to the US.
December 23, 2015
Kim Schmitz

Kim Dotcom extradition hearing starts

A court in New Zealand is to decide if German entrepreneur Kim Dotcom can be extradited to the US for trial.
September 21, 2015
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March 9, 2015
Megaupload Kim Schmitz

MegaChat threat to Skype

The German-born Internet mogul Kim Dotcom has revealed that he plans to launch his own chat service. He said the MegaChat communication service would threaten to wipe out Microsoft's Skype software.
December 30, 2014
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With the record IPO of China's online retailer Alibaba, e-commerce shares have become the latest stock market hype. Amid two new German listings, how justified are fears of the boom turning into a new dotcom bubble?
October 1, 2014
Parlamentswahlen in Neuseeland John Key 20.9.2014

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September 20, 2014
German internet millionaire Kim Schmitz is seen in Hong Kong in this 1999 handout file photo. Internet content hosting website Megaupload.com founders Schmitz, also known as Kim Dotcom and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, and Mathias Ortmann were arrested with two other company executives in Auckland, New Zealand, by local authorities on January 19, 2012 and will face extradition hearings, the U.S. Justice Department said. They were charged by U.S. authorities for a massive copyright infringement scheme, the latest skirmish in a battle against piracy of movies and music. REUTERS/Handout/Files (CHINA - Tags: CRIME LAW SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY POLITICS)

Legal victory for Dotcom

Kim Dotcom, a file-sharing website founder, has scored a legal victory in a New Zealand court against US extradition attempts. American authorities want to try Dotcom in a US court for alleged copyright theft.
May 31, 2013
Megaupload / Mega boss Kim Dotcom (Photo: MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP/Getty Images)

No stopping Mega

Kim Dotcom is confident that his new file-sharing service complies with the law.
January 23, 2013
Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom leaves court after he was granted bail in the North Shore court in Auckland on February 22, 2012. The 38-year-old German national who has been in custody since January 20 when New Zealand police, cooperating with a major US probe, raided his sprawling "Dotcom Mansion" in Auckland, was granted bail after previously being kept behind bars over fears he would flee the country to escape US online piracy charges

Kim Dotcom launches new site

A German-born New Zealand-based Internet entrepreneur who is fighting extradition to the US has launched a new file-sharing site. The move came exactly a year after his Megaupload site was shut down by the authorities.
January 20, 2013
Homepage of the website Megaupload.com. (Photo:AP/dapd)

When piracy helps

A recent study suggests that illegal downloads can help market small budget films.
December 14, 2012
Logo of defunct Megaupload

Raid, seizure deemed illegal

A New Zealand court has ruled that police made an illegal search of the Auckland home of German entrepreneur Kim Dotcom. It also said the export of data cloned by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation was unlawful.
June 28, 2012
Gera (Thüringen): Das am Computer bearbeitete Foto zeigt symbolhaft übereinanderkopierte CDs mit den Aufschriften von bekannten Musikern. Wer Musik oder Texte für private Zwecke kopiert, braucht nach dem Entwurf für ein neues Urhebergesetz keine Strafe zu fürchten. Bundesjustizministerin Brigitte Zypries (SPD) forderte, CDs mit Kopierschutz müssten im Handel deutlich gekennzeichnet werden, "damit niemand die Katze im Sack kauft" und eine Privatkopie unmöglich wird. Auch Jugendliche, die sich ihre urheberrechtlich geschützten Lieblingstitel aus dem Internet herunterladen, sollen nach dem neuen Gesetz straffrei bleiben. Lediglich das gewerbliche Kopieren solle mit Geldstrafen oder gar Gefängnis geahndet werden. (GER409-191102)

Online piracy

The founder of TVShack.net has been accused of violating US intellectual property law.
March 14, 2012
Kim Schmitz, a.k.a. Kim Dotcom

Megaupload boss Dotcom gets bail

US investigators failed in their efforts to have the boss of file-sharing website Megaupload kept behind bars in New Zealand on Wednesday after Kim Dotcom was released on bail.
February 22, 2012
From left to right: van der Kolk, Batato, Ortmann and Dotcom

File-sharers' bail

Two of Kim Dotcom's associates in the Megaupload case are granted bail in New Zealand. He isn't.
January 26, 2012
Logo von Megaupload. Die US-Behörden werfen der großen Datenspeicher-Plattform Megaupload massive Urheberrechtsverletzungen vor und haben sie am 19.01.2012 vom Netz genommen. (Foto: DW / C.Walz)

Megaupload mess

After a legal attack on Megaupload, many are questioning the reach of American copyright law.
January 21, 2012
Megaupload screenshot

Cyber crackdown

US authorities crack down on piracy by arresting the German founder of Megaupload and co-workers.
January 20, 2012
Computer screen showing collage of credit cards, partial graphic e-commerce

German dotcoms

Germany has struggled to create an Internet industry of scale to compete globally.
June 3, 2011
Hand symbolizing family insurance

Insurance buddies

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April 8, 2011

AOL quits Germany

The company is to close down all of its offices in Germany as part of a restructuring program.
January 12, 2010