Megaupload creator Kim Dotcom lost another round in court in a bid against extradition to the U.S., where he says he’s never lived or visited.
Dotcom was charged with conspiracy, racketeering and money laundering for creating the now-defunct website, Megaupload. The website was once one of the most popular file-sharing sites on the internet.
Megaupload users would download files from the site, which were often times illegal transfers of copyrighted material, such as movies and music, ultimately causing legal conflicts. Dotcom’s lawyer said he will appeal the extradition decision, the Associated Press reported.
“As people will know, I am prepared to fight to get justice, whether it is for me or others,” Dotcom said in a statement.
Dotcom, who was born Kim Schmitz in Germany, created Megaupload in 2005 while residing in Hong Kong, and currently lives in New Zealand. He was arrested in a dramatic raid in 2012 and was released a month later after posting bail.
New Zealand Justice Minister Andrew Little said he will let Dotcom exhaust all of his legal appeals before extradition, over which he has the final decision. (RELATED: New Zealand’s Prime Minister Becomes The First World Leader To Give Birth In Office In Nearly 30 Years)
“Extradition is a major thing, it’s an incredible erosion of someone’s liberties,” Little said, according to AP. “So it is right that we take the time and effort for the legal decision to be correct before I, as Minister of Justice, get to make a decision.”
Others involved in the case include Megaupload officers Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato.
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