It doesn’t matter whether you like Dotcom or despise him. The law is the law and every dog is entitled to his day in court.
The judgment against KDC has many jumping up & down with glee. I’m not one of those because I never like to see law misused for political reasons, or to persecute someone merely because they are unpopular. One has to be especially wary when the person being prosecuted is an enemy of the standing government. I’d like to be sure that what is happening to KDC is not an example of any of those situations.
Sure, KDC didn’t do much for his public relations with his decision to align himself with the far left of NZ politics. If I had been able to influence KDC I would have warned him not to do it. He seems incredibly naive as far as politics go. However that mistake must remain separated from the court proceedings.
I’ll try and address as briefly as I can a few of the concerns I have with the judgment. Firstly, it should be noted that the idea of any hearing on extradition is to ensure the case is sound, in order to prevent vexatious or undue process. Is this basic measure met? I’m not convinced.
I disagree with the massive legal onslaught, made up of a myriad of invasive and restrictive laws, that we all have to endure to preserve copyright. However let’s put that aside for now. If KDC has breached copyright laws then why is he the only one being prosecuted when there are hundreds of other file sharing sites? This would imply two things- 1) KDC is being used as an example, and 2) laws around copyright are unsound and breaches are difficult to prove.
Here is what is important-
The idea of KDC’s prosecution, why all of these forces are being applied, is to scare everyone else into complying with laws that are really ineffective and otherwise unenforceable.
Given this purpose, is it fair then to grant the extradition request? I’m not sure it is validated at all.
The second point is the law lacks clarity on whether copyright infringement is grounds for extradition in the first place. There are many legal arguments here based around the differences in importance of a legal breach in NZ or the US. This is why the US govt tacked on the charges of wire fraud and money laundering. They knew the case for extradition on copyright infringement was weak right from the get go. Money laundering and wire fraud more easily justify extradition.
So it is more important that these two charges are shown to have substance over the charge of copyright infringement. The judge obviously agrees these charges have substance, I’m skeptical. All KDC was doing was running a file storage/ sharing site. Money laundering & wire fraud are the province of criminal gangs. The Mafia, international drug dealers and groups like that. Megaupload doesn’t fit the profile.
So in summary, the copyright part of this case has many pro and against legal arguments as to whether it validates extradition, but the real weakening factor in the extradition case (IMHO) is that the prosecution of KDC is intended to scare others into compliance with otherwise unenforceable and clumsy laws. The wire fraud and money laundering charges would seem to be tacked on only to bolster the weak copyright argument, and seem to lack justification.
This brings us back to the initial purpose of the hearing, and the main question – is the extradition process being used in a frivolous or unjustified manner?
I’m not sure we can give the required firm and unequivocal “no” in answer to that question. Furthermore we should not allow political considerations or personal dislike to convince us that we can. This is actually a far bigger issue than KDC and whether one likes him or not, or what side of the political fence you sit on.
One day it may be you the US is trying to extradite. Or worse it could be China or Russia after you. You’d want due process followed then wouldn’t you?
TrueblueNZ 
11 responses to “Dotcom extradition judgment still has many grey areas”
Merry Christmas Red. Keep up the good fight.
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Thank you soldier, and Merry Christmas to you too. Hope 2016 is a good one for you.
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Love Dotcom or Hate him.
It is irrelevant. This whole situation does not pass the smell test.
Starting with the over the top “Keystone Cop” Police raid on his house and family complete with pregnant wife.
Through to imprisonment without charge.
He has broken no NZ laws, the activity accused of is not Illegal in NZ.
The fact that Megaupload was a Hong Kong based company not US.
That Dotcom was not resident in the US.
They have left US companies alone, You Tube, Facebook etc.
Was it a case of he just got to big for his boots and threatened the US dominance of the Internet. Even if he prevails and wins, they have taken just about everything he has.
Yet the Drug barons carry on regardless, terrorists (real terrorists) continue on business as usual. The flow of “conflict oil” continues unabated, not to mention the flow of arms and ammunition to keep them going.
No something about this whole situation just does not feel right.
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Dotcom is an avowed terrorist, child pornographer, and staged and attempted an electoral coup d’état.
The biggest problem with the operation on KimDotcom, along with the Operation 8 raids, were the rules of engagement: Chicago PD would have resolved both cases at the time with no ongoing problems.
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I don’t think I’ve ever read such unadulterated tosh, even from you.
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He’s actually a left winger. Leaves comments all over the blogosphere in the same vein with the objective of discrediting the right.
Helpful as it shows those who don’t know yet just what deceitful scum the left can be.
The real issue here’s is Key’s brown nosing of the Obama administration and their big money supporters in Hollywood. All progressives.
Matt Damon and his infantile communist ideas when he gets $30 million a picture. Who the hell cares if these FITH propagandists get taken down? The whole industry needs to be brought back to earth.
Keeping these commie bastards in the syle they’re accustomed by means of massively intrusive copyright laws is nothing I will ever be part of. Copyright infraction is a private contractual issue and nothing the state should be involved in.
Key can’t see any further than an autographed picture of himself golfing with Obama.
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So, Red – just how do you think we – the West – should deal with terrorists, armed criminals, cyberterrorists and the like? How do you think the cops should maintain order in Chicago, Detroit, South Auckland, or The Ureweras?
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AT- The OP was about the legal intricacies of the KDC case. He was running a file sharing site. I don’t understand why I should suddenly address questions relating to “terrorists, armed criminals, cyberterrorists” or how order should be maintained in “Chicago, Detroit, South Auckland, or The Ureweras?”
Even if I did address those problems, its not as if there is one blanket solution to them all. Well, not in terms of law enforcement anyway. Most of the West’s problems exist because their traditional culture has degenerated to a point where its almost unrecoverable.
The answer lies in regeneration. However that regeneration cannot occur until Progressives are removed from their current social and political ascendancy.
Given the generations that have succumbed to their influence, their removal is not something that can be achieved overnight.
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regeneration cannot occur until Progressives are removed
this is the question
I don’t understand why I should suddenly address questions relating to “terrorists, armed criminals, cyberterrorists” or how order should be maintained in “Chicago, Detroit, South Auckland, or The Ureweras?”
this is the same question and it has the same answer
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“this is the same question and it has the same answer”
Are you a simpleton or is a village somewhere missing its idiot.
But please do tell us what the same answer is.
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Fully armed citizens and police – and laws recognising the natural rights to resolve crime, terrorism, liberalism, and progressivism.
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