New Zealand judge rules Kim Dotcom can be extradited to U.S.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- A New Zealand judge has ruled that colorful Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom and three of his colleagues can be extradited to the United States to face criminal copyright charges.
Dotcom's lawyers said they will appeal the decision.
Judge Nevin Dawson's ruling on Wednesday comes nearly four years after U.S. authorities shut down Dotcom's Megaupload website, which some visitors had used to illegally download songs and movies.
The U.S. has charged the men with conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, racketeering and money laundering. If found guilty, they could face decades in jail.
"Megaupload knowingly created and facilitated the distribution of stolen property," former executive assistant director of the FBI Shawn Henry told CBS News' "60 Minutes" in 2014.
"No different than if somebody has a warehouse where stolen property is being dropped off," Henry said. "If you created the environment that facilitated it, and you encouraged it, and you incentivized people by paying them to drop off stolen property, I think that you are complicit."
"Am I the one who's at fault if users upload that kind of stuff and up-- re-upload it again? Do I have to go to jail for that?" Dotcom told "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon. "Because I didn't do it. I didn't upload these things to Megaupload."
The case could have broader implications for Internet copyright rules. Dotcom's lawyer Ron Mansfield said earlier that if the U.S. side prevails, websites from YouTube to Facebook would need to more carefully police their content.