Kim Dotcom going to court to unfreeze his assets
The Megaupload mogul has sought in court to set aside the restraining order freezing his assets
Lawyers for internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom are seeking to retrieve HK$330 million worth of assets seized by Hong Kong customs officers in 2012 at homes and offices linked to his Megaupload website.
Dotcom's legal team in Hong Kong submitted an application to the High Court here on Wednesday on behalf of Megaupload, a Hong Kong-registered company, to set aside the restraining order that keeps the assets frozen.
Dotcom's lawyers argue that more than two years after the raids, the US has yet to charge Megaupload and its founders including Dotcom, a former Hong Kong resident now under house arrest in New Zealand.
"Over two years later, the US Department of Justice has yet to serve Megaupload or initiate substantive criminal proceedings against it, trapping Megaupload in a state of criminal limbo," said Ira Rothken, Dotcom's US lawyer. The now-defunct Megaupload used to be one of the world's biggest online file-sharing platforms, where people could share music, movies and documents.
US prosecutors claim that Megaupload and its founders engaged in mass copyright fraud for more than five years, earning more than US$175 million. The Hong Kong legal action was part of a global move to free up the frozen assets, which includes personal files and photos of Megaupload users, Rothken said.
