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Kim Dotcom Will Revive Megaupload, Linking File Transfers To Bitcoin Microtransactions (fortune.com)
Long-time Slashdot reader SonicSpike quotes an article from Fortune: The controversial entrepreneur Kim Dotcom said last month that he was preparing to relaunch Megaupload, the file-sharing site that U.S. and New Zealand authorities dramatically shut down in 2012, with bitcoins being involved in some way... This system will be called Bitcache, and Dotcom claimed its launch would send the bitcoin price soaring way above its current $575 value.
The launch of Megaupload 2.0 will take place on January 20, 2017, he said, urging people to "buy bitcoin while cheap, like right now, trust me..." Crucially, Dotcom said the Bitcache system would overcome bitcoin's scaling problems. "It eliminates all blockchain limitations," he claimed.
Every file transfer taking place over Megaupload "will be linked to a tiny Bitcoin micro transaction," Dotcom posted on Twitter. His extradition trial begins Monday, and he's asking the court to allow live-streaming of the trial "because of global interest in my case." Meanwhile, the FBI apparently let the registration lapse on the Megaupload domain, which they seized in 2012, and Ars Technica reports that the site is now full of porn ads.
The launch of Megaupload 2.0 will take place on January 20, 2017, he said, urging people to "buy bitcoin while cheap, like right now, trust me..." Crucially, Dotcom said the Bitcache system would overcome bitcoin's scaling problems. "It eliminates all blockchain limitations," he claimed.
Every file transfer taking place over Megaupload "will be linked to a tiny Bitcoin micro transaction," Dotcom posted on Twitter. His extradition trial begins Monday, and he's asking the court to allow live-streaming of the trial "because of global interest in my case." Meanwhile, the FBI apparently let the registration lapse on the Megaupload domain, which they seized in 2012, and Ars Technica reports that the site is now full of porn ads.
Even though the man himself, by all accounts, is a loud-mouthed, megalomaniac, international jerk ... I do believe his fight against U.S laws and its publicity is doing the world a service. ... Go Kim, I'm for you.
So
"simple negligence"
I have a bridge to sell you...
The most important rule in life I've learned is: don't believe an intelligent group of people when they say the harm they've caused was due to a simple error.
The second most important rule is: never assume that powerful people are stupid just because they're not doing what you think they should be doing. They got there due to competing with other people who want power just as much, and the competition is great.
I am very bothered by that happening.
It reinforces the idea that no matter who you are or where you are from, even if you have never been in the USA, that:
1) The USA can just say "Give me that guy". And have his head handed over on a plate.
2) The nation of which you are national will not lift a finger to help you.
3) That a stupid copyright issue is the reason for all this. In this case.
4) That and more means there is no place on Earth safe from the corporate greed propagated by the USA.
Never mind that raiding a guys home with armed helicopters is crazy way over the top for any stupid copyright violation.
In short, pretty much all of copyright law should be scrapped and the world should tell the yanks to swivel on it.
I don't care about how Kim Dotcom is depicted by the media, fact is that his company respected DMCA takedown requests and there is probably more infringing content on Youtube than there ever was on Megaupload. But even if he was totally guilty of infringing New Zealand copyright law, this illegal prosecution by a foreign country without any jurisdiction is the biggest scandal in the history of the Internet. It's just unbelievable to me that a foreign power can seize the assets of a company in another country on the basis of illegal warrants and illegal wiretapping, refuse to return them, and treat someone as a 'fugitive' who has never put a foot in their soil. If the same trick had been pulled by Russia or North Korea, the whole world would be upset and nobody would even get the idea that an extradition request could be justified. The US should seriously consider to act act like an asshole less often and clean up their own justice and prison system instead, rather than bullying other countries and their businesses.
"he said, urging people to "buy bitcoin while cheap, like right now, trust me..."
Well it's a somewhat novel pump n' dump scheme, I'll give him that.
1) The USA can just say "Give me that guy". And have his head handed over on a plate.
If he's handed over it will be after years of extradition proceedings, involving significant due process, which is the exact opposite of how you characterize it.
2) The nation of which you are national will not lift a finger to help you.
See above.
3) That a stupid copyright issue is the reason for all this. In this case.
He didn't burn a CD for his mom. He ran a huge organization with billions of visitors and tens of millions of dollars, with most of that coming from sharing copyrighted materials.
4) That and more means there is no place on Earth safe from the corporate greed propagated by the USA.
Yes, America invented greed. And copyright law.
Because ignoring fat fucks and their ramblings work so well.
/me wonders how we ended up with Trump.
51st state? No way that New Zealand gets to cut in line.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Is it smart to start a pump and dump scam campaign the day your extradition trial starts?