[Infowarrior] - US government wants Megaupload offline forever

[Richard Forno]

US government wants Megaupload offline forever

By Dave Neal
Fri Oct 26 2012, 09:18                 

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2220124/us-government-wants-megaupload-offline-forever

THE UNITED STATES government has made a request to its courts that Megaupload never be allowed to return to the internet.

Papers filed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), and seen by Torrentfreak show that the government is concerned that Megaupload will return and its users will get access to their files. It says that if this is true then Kim Dotcom could be in trouble.

"Defense Counsel's claim that the corporate defendant can and should be allowed to operate undermines the sworn statements of Dotcom that he has no plans or ability to continue to operate or fund the businesses in the Indictment during pendency of the extradition process," wrote the DoJ.

"If defendant Dotcom intentionally misled the court in New Zealand about his intentions and capabilities in order to obtain his release from pre-extradition confinement, it seems Defense Counsel's representation might endanger Dotcom's bail situation or even subject him to additional charges."

Ira Rothken, a lawyer working for Dotcom said that the DoJ was being unfair here, particularly to Megaupload's users.

"The DOJ is anti-consumer by preventing users from accessing their files in the Megaupload cloud in the @KimDotcom case," he tweeted.

Megaupload filed a motion to dismiss earlier this month and a motion to unseal documents relating to the search warrants used in the case this week.

Dotcom claims to have no plans to relaunch Megaupload, but has regularly updated followers on the progress of Mega, a new website that he is working on. He chided the DoJ on Twitter after it made its move.

"DOJ misleading the court, as usual. Giving Megaupload users their files back = Rehabilitation. New Mega = New Business. Doh!," he said.

"A child of five would understand that Megaupload was perfectly legal. Could someone please send a child of five to the DOJ ;-)." µ


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