What Is Megaupload? A Full History of Kim Dotcom’s File-Sharing Website in 2021
Aleksander Hougen, 24 May 2021
There have been many dramatic stories over the years involving the internet and copyright infringement, but few are as notorious as that of Megaupload and Kim Dotcom. It’s one hell of a story, but one that’s complicated and often misunderstood. Join us for an answer to the question of “what is Megaupload?” as we look at what happened to the website and what comes next.
Key Takeaways:
Megaupload was one of the leading file-sharing sites on the internet until its takedown in January 2012.
The site’s founder, Kim Schmitz, legally changed his name to Kim Dotcom around the same time he founded Megaupload in 2005.
Dotcom has waged an ongoing legal battle for more than a decade to avoid extradition to the United States for charges of copyright infringement, wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
Despite sharing part of its name with Megaupload and being founded by the same person, MEGA.nz retains none of its ties to the now-defunct file-sharing site.
As with most legal matters, the details of the case against Kim Dotcom are dense and fairly complex. In this article, we’ll give you a quick explanation of what Megaupload is and the history of its founder before diving headfirst into the confusing world of legal jargon, arrests, convictions and appeals, as we try to make sense of it all.
