Kim Dotcom |
Kim Dotcom, Kim Schmitz was born on January 21, 1974 also known as Kimble and Kim Tim investor Jim, was a German-Finnish businessman who became famous during the dot-com bubble and was convicted of insider trading and embezzlement after. He is also known as the founder and Megaupload linked websites.He officially changed her last name to Dotcom around 2005.On January 20, 2012, New Zealand Police placed him in custody under the charge of criminal copyright infringement in relation to its Web site Megaupload.
Early career
As a teenager, Dotcom became known in his native Germany for claiming to have cracked the corporate PBX systems in the United States, and try to parlay into a career in data security. Efforts that led to his arrest on charges of using and selling stolen calling card numbers. In 1994, Dotcom founded a computer security company called DataProtect.
In 1999, DataProtect and IVM techniques presented "Megacar", a Brabus-tuned Mercedes-Benz S-Class W220, among other features, has a Windows NT server, a 17.3 "flat panel displays and SGI combined 16 GSM module to provide mobile broadband internet access.
In 1998, Dotcom convicted of computer fraud and handling stolen goods and was sentenced to two years in prison on probation. According to the News & Record, he had traded stolen calling card numbers he bought from hackers in the United States. He achieved fame by being the subject of an advanced early-to - the flash animation video called Special agent.The Kimble's name is a reference to Richard Kimble, the main character of the Fugitive television series.
Dotcom then sold 80% of the shares DataProtect to TÜV Rheinland in 2000, during the dot-com bubble. The first one went bankrupt at the time of the next market crash in 2001.
He is known for its large, because it is 2 meters (6.6 feet) and weigh over 130 kilograms (290 lb).
Megaupload Limited business
On March 21, 2005, Dotcom established Megaupload Limited, a Hong Kong-based file hosting and sharing business that eventually became the most popular 13 sites on the Internet with more than 150 employees, revenues of U.S. $ 175 million, 50 million visitors each day, and estimated ultimately responsible for 4% of all internet traffic.
Megaupload business domain name 'and the site closed confiscated by the U.S. Department of Justice on January 19, 2012, following the indictment and arrest of the owner for allegedly operating as an organization dedicated to copyright infringement.
Civil litigation and controversy
He sued for copyright infringement as the owner later filed Megaupload.A settlement.
In December 2011, Dotcom which Megaworld (owner Megaupload, Megavideo, Megalive and more) released the "Song Megaupload" promotional music video, featuring Kanye West, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Alicia Keys , Chris Brown and more praise. Universal Music Group (UMG) to respond by using the DMCA takedown process has removed the clip from YouTube and other sites. Dotcom accuses UMG send a "takedown notice is not valid", because UMG does not have the song, and Megaupload proceed to file a lawsuit against UMG.
A statement released by UMG claims that there are special arrangements between UMG and YouTube that allow UMG to record any video featuring their artists, regardless of copyright status . These claims are then explicitly rejected by YouTube, which has since come back video.
New Zealand's 2012 arrest and the seizure of this site Megaupload
On January 5, 2012, indictment filed in the United States of Dotcom on charges of criminal copyright infringement along with Julius Benčko and five other colleagues. On January 20, 2012, Kim Dotcom, Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk was arrested in Coatesville, Auckland, New Zealand, the New Zealand Police, following the armed attack on the house's Dotcom. New Zealand authorities in cooperation with the United States FBI and the Justice Department, Hong Kong Customs and Hong Kong Department of Justice, the Dutch National Police Agency and the Public Prosecutor for Serious Fraud and Environmental Crimes in Rotterdam, London Metropolitan Police Service, the German Bundeskriminalamt and the German Public Prosecutor, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Department of Justice Canada in the investigation before the arrest.
According to the Dotcom's defense, the police operation against Megaupload is not necessary grandiose: "... armed officers arrived in a helicopter and dropped into the Dotcom home page.
On January 25, 2012 (NZ local time) Dotcom initially refused bail because of the risk allegedly fled to Germany, but the assurance given on February 22.
On February 6, Dotcom invited New Zealand journalist John Campbell Campbell Live to visit and inspect its Coatesville property damage done by the police. According to the security chief, Wayne Tempero "... it's awesome power ... Did they just ask us we will open the door to any room they want to go." He said Mr. Dotcom seemed surprised by the police action. "I remember him saying" copyright infringement "and shook his head, like he was going" what the heck ". We do not make a bomb in the basement, we do not have a meth lab is greater than the South Island here. This is a normal family home .
On February 22, Kim Dotcom released on bail under the condition that he stay within 80 miles of Coatesville and residential Internet access is prohibited. Bail granted after considering the risk of flight and the confiscation of assets. Judge Dawson stated Dotcom has come up with collateral condition of successful action brought by an additional U.S. government to prevent access to the Internet Kim Dotcom "every reason to stay with his family and fighting to keep their assets.". Although concerns about the interaction between Kim Dotcom and his legal team, Judge Dawson in favor of the U.S. government because of Kim Dotcom "(has) the ability to use it for the wrong purposes.
On March 1, Kim Dotcom gives his first interview to the New Zealand media after his arrest to John Campbell of Campbell Life He explained the close relationship of the case with the Viacom vs. YouTube:. In which the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) YouTube is protected from violation of its users and describes his astonishment when he was arrested without trial or hearing.
Kim Dotcom also provided some aspects of defense. Dotcom explained that Megaupload is responsible for the 800 files that transferred every second and it is not possible to monitor all traffic. In addition, the U.S. has privacy laws, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which prohibits the administrator from looking into the accounts of users.
On March 4, he released his first week diary detailing from outside the prison and expressed concern that his wife, Mona Dotcom, may be targeted by U.S. authorities.
Other activities
Dotcom has taken part in the Gumball 3000 international road rally on several occasions, winning in 2001 in his Mercedes Brabus SV12 Megacar. He also competed in 2004. In a 2004 interview on Belgian television, he claims that in Morocco car blocking him and "he had met him out of the way Nothing happened to him.". He said he later discovered it was the chief of police in the car "civilian".
Before his arrest, Dotcom is the world's number one-ranked player Modern Warfare 3. The game has more than 15 million online players. On January 23, 2012 he lost his position and dropped to number two.
Since 2001, Dotcom has received media coverage as the founder of an investment company based in Hong Kong called Trendax. The company claims to use artificial intelligence to maximize investment returns and Dotcom trying to find investors for hedge fund managed by the company. According to media reports Dotcom never had a proper license to start a fund, even if fraud is suspected.
In 2010, Dotcom rented a large house NZ $ 30 million in Coatesville, near Auckland, which is owned by Richard and Ruth Bradley, the founder of the UK Chrisco, and is considered the most expensive house in the country. She has the setting to buy a house when the lease expires, but the New Zealand government refused his request to purchase land on the grounds that he did not meet the "good character" test. Dotcom was granted permanent residency in New Zealand in 2010.
An investigation found Dotcom work in the business records of Hong Kong with a new name "Team Jim Kim investors", believed to carry a passport of Finland, and acting as a director of several "Mega," the company, including Megaupload and Megarotic Ltd Ltd
According to a spokesman Megaupload B. Lam, Kim is one of many in the Mega shareholders and is not involved in most of the day-to-day business decisions.
Dotcom Kim has spoken out against negative portrayals in the media, claiming to be reformers and businessmen who have no legitimate fair devil by the U.S. authorities and industry trade groups like the RIAA and MPAA. He argues that the services offered by the site Megaupload was not significantly different from comparable services like Rapidshare or YouTube, and he just used as a scapegoat because of his past hackers. Dotcom also want to show the work of charities, including the fireworks fund for the new year 2011 in Auckland, and donate large sums of money to fund earthquake relief after the 2011 Christchurch, and explained that he was buying property in New Zealand has been approved by the several other government ministers before the veto at the last minute by Justice Minister Simon Power, after the U.S. Justice Department quietly asked his department to assist with their investigation Dotcom.