Kim Dotcom Extradited to Face U.S. Charges

Kim Dotcom, the founder of the defunct file-sharing site Megaupload, is set to be extradited from New Zealand to the U.S. to face serious criminal charges including copyright infringement, racketeering, and money laundering, as ordered by New Zealand Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. This decision comes after more than a decade of legal battles, following allegations that Megaupload facilitated over $500 million in piracy losses to the entertainment industry. Dotcom has maintained his innocence, asserting that he should not be held liable for users' actions and criticizing the extradition as a reflection of New Zealand's compliance with U.S. demands. The extradition order allows Dotcom a brief period to seek counsel before he is surrendered to U.S. authorities. His former colleagues have already faced legal consequences, with two accepting plea deals to avoid extradition. Dotcom's legal saga began with a highly publicized raid on his mansion by New Zealand police in 2012, at the behest of the FBI, which resulted in the shutdown of Megaupload.