A New Zealand court has granted bail to Kim Dotcom, the founder of file-sharing site Megaupload. Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz, was arrested last month on many charges stemming from the operation of Megaupload, which was shut down by legal authorities (including the FBI) for encouraging piracy.
According to New Zealand's 3News, a district court judge Nevin Dawson said Dotcom wasn't a flight risk and had "every reason to stay" in the country. Prosecutors pointed out that Dotcom was a wealthy man with the resources to escape the country. However, authorities froze Dotcom's assets and seized his multiple passports when he was arrested, and the judge said the assumption was off base.
"The disposition that he is wealthy and must have more assets is not evidence," Judge Dawson said. "It would seem that he has every reason to stay (in New Zealand) to be with his family and to fight to keep his significant assets."
Dotcom is reported to be banned from using the Internet while on bail. Also on his forbidden list: helicopters. A date for his extradition hearing is expected to be set later today.
Another judge had previously denied Dotcom bail after New Zealand police arrested Dotcom with three others at his extravagant residence in January. The U.S. Department of Justice indicted seven people and two companies involved with the site for copyright infringement. A new indictment, filed Friday, adds another eight counts of fraud and violation of copyrights.
BONUS: The Strange and Epic Lifestyle of Megaupload's Kim Dotcom
Until recently, Kim Dotcom was the top Modern Warfare 3 player in the world. He even apparently posted a video to prove it. We imagine it's tough to maintain such a coveted position while being held in jail for multiple copyright violations.
The Megaupload kingpin claims to have paid $500,000 for the City of Auckland to put on a 2011 New Year's firework display. In case any Kiwi were to forget who was funding the awesomeness, he produced a video replete with on-screen identification of his whereabouts during the show. "Yeah, that's me in my personal helicopter!"
Dotcom stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, and tips the scales at 300 pounds, according to CNET. No one really knows his exact measurements though. All reports we've seen have him measured differently so whatever his exact height and weight are, it's easy to see that his physical size matches his personality and ego.
He legally changed his surname from Schmitz to Dotcom in homage to the beloved World Wide Web that made him famous.
He once fancied himself an anti-terrorism fighter by offering a bounty of $10 million for Osama bin Laden after 9/11. He started a group called Young Intelligent Hackers Against Terrorism. He was so kind as to offer the authorities on the hunt a little of his own advice:
"Try Looking in Kandahar in Afghanistan. He visits his wife and daughter there at least once a month."
Image courtesy of iStock, Vesnaandjic
Even when the game seemed to be up, Mr. Dotcom orchestrated a flamboyant exit. Police had to cut their way through electronic locks to a saferoom, where they found him clutching a gun.
Dotcom generated a spectacle wherever he went, often surrounded by cars and women, and wearing his trademark black outfit. He was even known to jump into hot tubs fully clothed. He made movies about himself racing cars, flirting with women, and riding in helicopters and private jets.
According to The New York Times, in 2001 he reportedly made more than $1 million when he allegedly bought shares in a struggling website, then falsely announced he would make a major investment, only to then sell his shares once the price went up after his announcement. He then defended himself by appearing on a popular late-night show, claiming people hated him because they didn't like his lifestyle. He then fled to Thailand before ultimately being apprehended.
He commissioned this well-produced music video starring many celebrities supporting the site, ostensibly in part to rub Megaupload in the face of copyright holders. Much controversy ensued.
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