{"id":48526,"date":"2012-01-20T12:51:58","date_gmt":"2012-01-20T11:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gtspirit.com\/?p=48526"},"modified":"2015-08-25T18:22:24","modified_gmt":"2015-08-25T16:22:24","slug":"megaupload-founder-kim-schmitz-arrested-and-cars-seized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gtspirit.com\/2012\/01\/20\/megaupload-founder-kim-schmitz-arrested-and-cars-seized\/","title":{"rendered":"Megaupload Founder Kim Schmitz Arrested and Cars Seized"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many long-time GTspirit readers and forum members will recognise the name Kim Schmitz as the two-time Gumball 3000 participant ‘Kimble’. Yesterday, the US Department of Justice asked the New Zealand authorities to arrest Kim, now known as Kim Dotcom, and his colleagues for large-scale copyright infringement. His website Megaupload.com was shut down and cars, cash, shotguns and artwork were seized from ten New Zealand homes.<\/p>\n
The indictment states that Megaupload has caused copyright holders $ 500 million in lost revenue from pirated films, albums and other materials. The move comes just one day after several prominent websites such as Wikipedia, Reddit and Wired went ‘dark’ for 24 hours on Wednesday as a form of protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). SOPA aims to be the first legislative step to a ‘policed’ internet. Something internet users, bloggers and news outlets, including GTspirit, have rallied against.<\/p>\n\r\n
![\"Megaupload](\"https:\/\/gtspirit.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/megaupload-founder-kim-schmitz-arrested-and-cars-seized\/thumbs\/thumbs_big_portocervo_04.jpg\" "\\"Megaupload")
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