Kim Dotcom Resigns From Mega To Fight Extradition, Run For Office

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Kim Dotcom Resigns From Mega To Fight Extradition, Run For Office

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Wednesday September 4, 2013 @04:04AM from the remember-when-he-was-evil dept.

rjmarvin writes "The Internet mogul and founder of the infamous file sharing and storage service confirmed he has stepped down as director to fight his U.S. extradition case, develop Megabox — his revolutionary music platform — oh, and to start his own political party and run for office in New Zealand's elections next year. What about the cutting-edge encrypted email service he promised? Well that's Chief Executive Vikram Kumar and new Director Bonnie Lam's problem now. Dotcom will have his hands full trying to 'get New Zealanders a new submarine cable, fair Internet pricing & no more data caps...'"

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Busy lil' feller... by Unknown74 · 2013-09-04 04:12 · Score: 1

...isn't he?
1. Re:Busy lil' feller... by mrops · 2013-09-04 05:50 · Score: 1
  
  "Busy huge' feller..."
  There corrected it for you.
Gee, he's got my vote by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:12 · Score: 2, Funny

A conviceted fraudster for an MP? I thought they were at least supposed to *start* honest.
1. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by MickyTheIdiot · 2013-09-04 04:13 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  per-scandaled. It's the new way to do business.
2. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Hatta · 2013-09-04 04:16 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  The politician you know is a felon is more honest than the one who claims not to be.
  
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  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
3. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Charliemopps · 2013-09-04 04:47 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I think, given the current state of the law, we are all felons.
4. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by interkin3tic · 2013-09-04 05:19 · Score: 2
  
  Also, the "crime" matters a great deal. Is it a voting scam, bribery, or genocide? Then that's a bad choice. Is the "fraud" that he ignored draconian copyright laws written by the MAFIAA? Hey, that ain't no crime in my book. Even if he is kind of a douche, which I don't think he actually is, I'd vote for him.
  
  He should campaign as the Robin Hood of intellectual property laws.
5. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Tyler+Eaves · 2013-09-04 05:21 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  He's a real criminal. Many criminal charges including credit card theft, pump and dump stock schemes, and investment fraud.
  
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  TODO: Something witty here...
6. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Alastor187 · 2013-09-04 05:28 · Score: 1
  
  The politician you know is a felon is more honest than the one who claims not to be.
  There is a lot of truth in this. Look at his behavior and personality. How is he any different than any other politician that has been exposed for wrong doing? Positions of power attract similar personalities, and the fact that Kim would direct his resources towards a political position implies he is cut from the same cloth as every other politician out there.
  The shocking part is not Kim running for office, it is that people like Kim are already there.
7. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by rahvin112 · 2013-09-04 05:42 · Score: 2
  
  Mod parent up. Just because you support his claims against the music industry doesn't mean Kim isn't a giant jackoff.
  The guy has run the gambit of fraudulent business enterprises, hence the reason he hasn't been to his home country (Germany) in years and the name change (break the association with his criminal past).
  He got lucky with Mega, otherwise he'd probably still be stealing old ladies checkbooks.
8. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by rogoshen1 · 2013-09-04 06:04 · Score: 2
  
  PRE-scandaled? that's brilliant, a politician going into an election in such a state removes the element of surprise -- or "the devil you know.." i like it.
9. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by BitZtream · 2013-09-04 06:45 · Score: 1
  
  'Mega' was/is just another scam he's running. I'd hardly call it luck, he just found a new method.
  
  --
  Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
10. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by slartibartfastatp · 2013-09-04 07:28 · Score: 1
  
  AKA zaphod beeblebrox
  
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  -- --
11. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by mpe · 2013-09-04 07:44 · Score: 1
  
  A conviceted fraudster for an MP? I thought they were at least supposed to *start* honest.
  
  More likely many start claiming to be honest.
12. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 08:02 · Score: 1
  
  WRONG. Google his name read the articles on attrition. He is not guilty of crossing the MPAA he's guilty of robbing people of their life savings in order to fund the appearance of success which he then uses to convince the next round of confidence scam suckers.
  Mega was the most honest thing he's ever done, not the reason he's called a criminal. He would happily be one of the banksters robber barons we all hate if he wasn't such a laughably goofy personality.
13. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Nyder · 2013-09-04 09:18 · Score: 1
  
  He's a real criminal. Many criminal charges including credit card theft, pump and dump stock schemes, and investment fraud.
  So you are saying he has experience going up against the corporations that are running the show?
  
  --
  Be seeing you...
14. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Nyder · 2013-09-04 09:21 · Score: 1
  
  'Mega' was/is just another scam he's running. I'd hardly call it luck, he just found a new method.
  It is? Pretty expensive "scam" he is doing. I thought scams was about putting little money in and making a shit ton of money back. While he might of made some money with MegaUpload, he has been spending quite a bit of it to defend himself. Then, on top of that, he started up another Mega, is making a Music site, is starting up a political party. All of which cost money.
  So once again, tell me how it is a scam what he is doing now?
  
  --
  Be seeing you...
15. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by johanw · 2013-09-04 10:06 · Score: 1
  
  Well, you catch bandits with bandits. About time someone stepped up against the criminals who don't work in the interest of the voters but in the interest of the criminal empire the US is.
16. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 10:12 · Score: 1
  
  He likely got people to front him most of the money and he's been keeping mega going while figuring out how to divert as much as possible to supporting his luxury living that he in turn uses to convince other people he's got shit figured out. This is not rocket science, there are a lot of guys more honest than him who stay in the lap of luxury by being at the helm of failed startup after failed startup he simply observed this and took out the unimportant parts.
  It kills me that you guys are defending this guy.. do some research on him he's smelled bad since the 90s and he still does.
17. Re:Gee, he's got my vote by lennier1 · 2013-09-04 14:45 · Score: 1
  
  We already know that he has the necessary qualifications for a career in politics.
  Back in the '80s he happily sold out people when it gave him an advantage (look up his connection to Gravenreuth, a German lawyer).
  Starting point for your own research: http://eclamus.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/megaupload/
Not good enough by Richy_T · 2013-09-04 04:16 · Score: 4, Insightful

Cutting-edge, encrypted email should be an RFC, not a service.
1. Re:Not good enough by blueg3 · 2013-09-04 05:00 · Score: 1
  
  You mean like 1847, 2015, and 3156?
2. Re:Not good enough by BitZtream · 2013-09-04 06:51 · Score: 2
  
  Uhm, why cutting edge? Theres nothing wrong with 20 year old encrypted email
  
  --
  Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
3. Re:Not good enough by Richy_T · 2013-09-04 07:19 · Score: 1
  
  Not familiar with those but note that I didn't say that it didn't already exist. Just that a centralized service is not an acceptable implementation.
4. Re:Not good enough by Richy_T · 2013-09-04 07:19 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  There's a fair bit wrong actually.
5. Re:Not good enough by VortexCortex · 2013-09-04 13:52 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, that would be the evil bit.
Surprised? by waddgodd · 2013-09-04 04:17 · Score: 1, Insightful

If anyone was actually surprised at this, given his attention-whore-arms-race-partner Julian Assange running for parliament, I've got some nice oceanfront property to sell you in Kansas. Schmitz (his v 1.0 last name) has pretty much had a year or two's shelf life on any given project before he found a bigger "look at ME" project for the last couple of decades. Well, I wish him good luck, and all that. I look forward to the schadenfreude of watching people actually think he's not just saying whatever it takes to get to the next headline for many years to come.

--
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
1. Re:Surprised? by interkin3tic · 2013-09-04 05:23 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  So, you're criticizing Assange and (sigh) dotcom for being attention whores? For not being saints?
  
  I literally just shit my pants so much that my whole colon came out and shot through the wall in shock. And then the rest of my internal organs followed when I realized that might mean that people who are less than perfect could potentially be elected into office.
  
  I mean, my God, they might sully the good name of elected officials! They might make decisions which are not necessarily in the best interests of everyone! They might have sex while in office with people who are not their spouses and in positions which are not missionary! They might make headlines for things which are not "Kim Dotcom and Julian Assange quietly achieve world peace and nuclear fusion." There might be annoying headlines about things they do! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!
2. Re:Surprised? by johanw · 2013-09-04 10:16 · Score: 1
  
  So what? Current and former US presidents should be facing a Neurenberg trial but only escape it because they have power.
3. Re:Surprised? by Xest · 2013-09-04 20:40 · Score: 1
  
  That and much of Assange's "attention whoring" really had nothing to do with him.
  Most of his supposed "attention whoring" was actually the media looking for a drama and most prominently falling for the whole Domscheit-Berg FUDfest, you can read about it first hand from a real actual activist with a long track record and who was familiar with the two of them:
  http://nothingispermanent.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/open-letter.html
  Most of the "attention whoring" by Assange has actually been manufactured precisely to defame him. I can count the number of times Assange has wilfully put himself in front the press on one hand as it's usually been to talk about some key event in his story - his decision to enter the Ecuadorian embassy, his response to Manning's conviction and so on. I don't really see a handful of short sharp statements at a rate of maybe one or two a year as "attention whoring". 99% of the time it has been the press writing about him, rather than him going to the press.
Re:What a tool by X0563511 · 2013-09-04 04:19 · Score: 1

It's not self-aggrandizing when other people are doing the aggrandizing.

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For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
More than anyone presently alive (or comatose) by ackthpt · 2013-09-04 04:20 · Score: 3, Funny

Kim Dotcom reminds me of Bill the Cat >ACK<

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A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
1. Re:More than anyone presently alive (or comatose) by Mashiki · 2013-09-04 10:12 · Score: 1
  
  Does he also play in a band called Billy and the Boingers?
  
  --
  Om, nomnomnom...
If the election doesn't work out, by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:20 · Score: 1

If the election doesn't work out, is he gonna try starting a church?
I get the impression he's kind of an AW'ing gladhanding huckster, not a principled person.
I could be wrong, of course, and sort of hope I am, but all the stunting and 'hey! look-at-me'-ness gives me doubt.
put the major music labels out of business by Joe_Dragon · 2013-09-04 04:24 · Score: 1

and all the big artists contracts likely will kill this idea or some how make them pay up any money they make off of this.
Why are we still hearing about this? by kriston · 2013-09-04 04:25 · Score: 2, Interesting

Why are we still hearing about this? There has been nothing notable about this attention-thirsty individual in a long time, notwithstanding "Mega" and its allegedly real users.

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Kriston
1. Re:Why are we still hearing about this? by blackraven14250 · 2013-09-04 08:24 · Score: 1
  
  I actually use Mega on a regular basis, for the same things I used to use MU for.
2. Re:Why are we still hearing about this? by Nyder · 2013-09-04 09:35 · Score: 1
  
  Why are we still hearing about this? There has been nothing notable about this attention-thirsty individual in a long time, notwithstanding "Mega" and its allegedly real users.
  Other then the USA over reaching it's jurisdiction in another country, breaking laws there and here, destroying a business because the music/movie cartels asked for it? You know, where we claim people are innocent until proven guilty, yet doing every little thing they can (the USA) to keep the trial in there favor, if it even ever goes to trial.
  Look, you have a low UID, so i expect some smarts out of you, but apparently you are senile if you don't think the "Mega" has nothing to do with anyone else. It's one of the big shows the government put on for the Music/Movie industry. Why did they really go after mega? Because people like you think that because of what ever Kim's past have already judged him. You already think he's a criminal, so you are okay with the USA government breaking laws to put him out of business. They are counting on that.
  It is sad that someone who's opinions can be revered on this site (because of the low UID) is so out of touch with how this case affects everyone.
  If you can't see the reality that this brings, i guess being senile maybe isn't so bad since you are probably reliving the napster days...
  
  --
  Be seeing you...
3. Re:Why are we still hearing about this? by kriston · 2013-09-04 16:04 · Score: 2
  
  As you, since you note my low UID, would have noted, I have a very low opinion and an even dimmer view of services that try to earn money by promoting, either directly or indirectly, the act of illegally distributing copyrighted content, contraband, stolen secrets, and the abuse of intellectual property. From Napster, Gnutella, Limewire, BitTorrent, and "MegaUpload/Mega," my views are consistent (NB I do not hold an opinion of WikiLeaks for personal reasons). Not all information "wants to be free" and it's for very good reasons. I don't expect everyone to understand those reasons.
  Furthermore, "Kim Dotcom" is not a US citizen, so I have no real stake in what happens to him and am mystified by how much attention he gets for nothing that could be considered notable. He's not in any way even remotely comparable to Sean Fanning, Kevin Mitnick, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, nor Chelsea Manning.
  Thank you for questioning my views because you noted my low UID. It helps me recenter my expectations of what to expect from rank and file trollers on Slashdot and the reasons why it's such a ponderous service.
  
  --
  Kriston
4. Re:Why are we still hearing about this? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 16:12 · Score: 1
  
  Because the NZ police use the FiveEyes infrastructure to illegally spy on him. It's an issue at the heart of Snowden's NSA revelations and being played out in a supposedly democratic country famed for it's transparency and political honesty. We've just changed our laws to make uses of the now-revealed spying tools legal by our government for looking into things completely outside of 'terrorism'. It's a big deal here. Just as Snowden and the continued leaks are a big deal everywhere else.
Kim Schmitz == Julian Assange by burni2 · 2013-09-04 04:28 · Score: 1

equally evil,
equally hated,
equally loved,
both viewed in secrect as hero's of the netizens, because they actually moved things and are pain in the ass of Survalian Parties
1. Re:Kim Schmitz == Julian Assange by Em+Adespoton · 2013-09-04 04:43 · Score: 1
  
  Ah; there's an idea for his next project:
  MegaLeaks. He could even start a political party dedicated to fostering information leaks while protecting privacy.
Interesting individual by sl4shd0rk · 2013-09-04 04:36 · Score: 2

The guy certainly has a knack for getting people riled up. Thing is though, when you mouth builds a bridge your ass can't cross people get sick of hearing you spew. Maybe this guy is genuinely going to change things for the better and maybe not. Time will tell.

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Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
1. Re:Interesting individual by johanw · 2013-09-04 10:21 · Score: 1
  
  Getting a law passed that abandons copyright? That would be an interesting experiment. It could bring the local economy a lot of profit when companies rush in from oppressed countries.
Re:Happy KimDOTcom from the Olden Girls! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:41 · Score: 1

I've seen this meme often, but don't really understand it. What's the joke in using the word "cosmonaut" instead of "confidant"?
Chaotic... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:10 · Score: 1

Good
Comment removed by account_deleted · 2013-09-04 05:41 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion
Kudos Unknown Lamer by HairyNevus · 2013-09-04 06:00 · Score: 1

Your 'dept' byline made me do a spit take. Now, where are the paper towels? ....

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You were critically hit for no damage. The bruise will look nice, and maybe the scars will make good party talk.
Cutting edge encrypted email service? by Arancaytar · 2013-09-04 07:52 · Score: 1

It's called PGP / GnuPG.
Re:What a tool by X0563511 · 2013-09-04 08:24 · Score: 1

Oh? You're sure about that? That's a pretty big claim to make without presenting any evidence (or even any reasoning)

--
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
Not so funny when you live here... by madmarcel · 2013-09-04 08:54 · Score: 2

Laugh and joke all you want...

The way the political system works here (NZ) it is actually entirely possible for him to become an MP.
We have a small population and the minimum threshold (under MMP) for a party to get seats in parliament is quite low.

It is unlikely he'll get there, but it is not impossible.
Re:He's leaving the sinking boat, trying... by nurb432 · 2013-09-04 11:33 · Score: 1

Nothing wrong with that. Only a fool stays with a product that isn't selling and has no hope that it will.

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---- Booth was a patriot ----
For those of us who live in New Zealand... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 11:57 · Score: 1

The sad part is, he'll fit right in among NZ politicians. Publicity whore? Check. Big-time crook now untouchable by law? Check. Doesn't know what he's talking about? Check. Too amateurish to try to make it in any bigger pond than NZ? Check.
Winston Peters, Peter Dunne, Colin Craig, David Cunliffe - there's a reason you, out there in the Rest Of The World, have never heard of any of them. Kim Dotcom won't even stand out among them.
1. Re:For those of us who live in New Zealand... by robot5x · 2013-09-04 20:27 · Score: 1
  
  serious question though; I thought that in order to be elected as an MP in NZ you had to be a citizen, whereas Dotcom is merely a Resident??
  
  --
  Hej! Nasi tu byli!
Re:My Book About Kim Dot Com? by VortexCortex · 2013-09-04 13:57 · Score: 1

...and in the darkness grind them.
This is like taking a dump by ikhider · 2013-09-05 04:18 · Score: 1

And not flushing. If Kimdotcom made Mega, he should finish what he started. How can I have confidence in Mega if the founder of the company leaves so soon? How can I be sure that the new CEO will not change the company game plan? Can I be protected from new policies of fleecing the client for cash? This is a mega letdown.

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"SO we bide our time, waiting for a purer kick to bloom and the future is still bleak, uncertain and beautiful" -GSYBE