The US government brought piracy charges against the administrators of Megaupload three years ago, but is now imposing actual convictions.
The U.S. government brought piracy charges against the administrators of Megaupload three years ago, but it appears those efforts are now leading to actual convictions. Programmer Andrus Nõmm pleaded guilty to charges that he helped commit copyright infringement by developing a site for sharing pirated files. He was sentenced to one year in prison, a sentence that takes into account both his role at Megaupload and his willingness to confess.
The Justice Department has been quick to claim that this is a victory against the “Mega Conspiracy,” which allegedly robbed copyright holders of $400 million. However, the reality is not so “pretty.” According to Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, Nõmm is appealing “3 years of abuse by the Justice Department” and asking to “get on with his life,” which includes a son. Even if Nõmm deserves punishment, the government “won” only because Nõmm stopped fighting, and it will likely take longer for the feds to put Megauploaders who refuse to surrender in prison.
