Kim Dotcom's extradition
From the NZ Herald:
A survey collecting Kiwis’ thoughts on the fate of Kim Dotcom reveals 46% of more than 1000 respondents believe the Megaupload founder should be extradited to the United States.
It is possible to have a more nuanced view of Kim Dotcom.
There’s no question he did what he is accused of. His Megaupload site was all about pirated music or movies. Dotcom and his team deliberately encouraged people to contribute copyright material to the site.
That much is beyond dispute.
But although it was done at a huge scale, the ‘crime’ of copyright theft is relatively minor. It should not involve armed police. The raid on Dotcom’s home was out of proportion. He wasn’t running cocaine shipments or getting involved in shoot-outs.
The amount of resources squandered on this case is also disproportionate. It may amount to more than the proceeds of Dotcom’s offending.
Tech giants including Google and Microsoft were actively allowing similar copyright piracy on their sites at the same time. It appears Dotcom was singled out for severe treatment. He was a much easier target.
Of course we can have arguments about copyright law. But that’s neither here nor there. He broke the law as it stands. You may feel it is unjust, but the case is about law, not justice.
That said, Dotcom is a minor crook, not a master criminal. A suitable punishment would be 400 hours of community work, not rotting for decades in a US jail.
Yet, Dotcom is unlikable and loud mouthed. When he still had it, he flaunted his wealth. He snipes at politicians and the New Zealand public. That has made him unpopular.
If he had spent the last 12 years under the radar, he might have more empathy from the New Zealand public. The survey in the Herald story shows that’s not the case. People don’t like him and want rid of him. It looks like they will get what they want.