UPDATED 13:42 EDT / AUGUST 20 2012

NEWS

Allow Kim Dotcom to See Evidence against Him, Rules NZ Judge

Following the latest happenings in the Kim Dotcom’s debacle as US authorities denied to show the FBI evidence against him, here comes a moment of relief for Dotcom and his associates, as a New Zealand judge, Judge Harvey, ordered the US to reveal the evidence they are relying on to have Dotcom and his associates shipped to the United States, including details of covert operations and confidential discussions with rights holders. The Megaupload’s legal team filed a plea at the North Shore District Court to be enabled to see the evidence it holds on Kim Dotcom and other defendants in the case. While US authorities insisted that there is no right to disclosure, Judge Harvey ordered disclosure of all documents related to the Megaupload debacle.

“In my view there must be fairness and the hearing and balance must be struck, otherwise the record of case becomes dominant virtually to the exclusion of everything else and places the extradition process in danger of becoming an administrative one rather than judicial,” the Judge wrote in its ruling.

According to the ruling, here is the quick list of the documents that need to be revealed by the US authorities:

– All records obtained or created in connection with the covert operations undertaken by agents involved in the investigations related to these proceedings in transacting and uploading/downloading data and files on the Megaupload site.

– All records or information and/or material provided to or obtained by the investigation and/or prosecuting agencies by the investigating and/or prosecuting agencies in this case from holders and/or owners of copyright interests evidencing alleged infringement of their copyright and/or complaining of such infringement.

– All records and materials related to communications between relevant copyright holders and Megaupload and/or its employees regarding their copyright interest, the direct delete access provided by Megaupload to any such copyright holders, and any communications between the copyright holders and Megaupload and/or its staff regarding take-down notices.

This ruling is a stepping stone for Dotcom and his legal team, and the step ahead in their battle. A few days back, Facebook and Twitter disabled Kim’s social media accounts, considering him a fraudster. Dotcom faced the problem of celebrity impersonation as Google search takes users to another Twitter account bearing the Kim Dotcom name, which is fake. Moreover, Facebook won’t accept ‘Dotcom’ as a valid surname for a personal account. But looks like that Dotcom is not going to surrender anyway, and has vowed to fight back with megabox after theatrical arrest. On his Twitter account, he declared the coming of Megabox this year.


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