Lawyers ask Megaupload to drop US case

Kim Dotcom’s lawyers have officially asked the United States to drop the charges against Megaupload. According to the lawyers, the US authorities cannot prosecute a Hong Kong-based company.

It is the first time that Megaupload’s legal team has officially asked the US to drop the charges. According to Kim Dotcom’s team of lawyers, it is not possible to sue Megaupload in the United States because the company “never had an office in America.” The lawyers also strongly criticize the handling of the case. “Megaupload has lost its property, its reputation has been tarnished and the company has been destroyed,” thus the explanation.

According to Ira Rothken, lawyer for Megaupload, this call has a real chance. “We believe logic and law are on our side,” Rothken . said opposite The New Zealand Herald. If the court grants the demands, the charges against the company will drop and the frozen assets will be released. Earlier this month, the extradition case was adjourned to March 25, 2013.

Even before the new requests, Kim Dotcom already tried to release the frozen funds to “pay for his defense and living expenses”. In an open letter, which published by The Hollywood Reporter, Dotcom writes that the Internet is scaring Hollywood, just like the VCR years ago. “What will Hollywood do if smartphones and tablets can exchange a movie wirelessly, in milliseconds?” asks the Megaupload CEO. According to him, the only parties found to have broken the law are the FBI and the New Zealand police. He also announces that he is “working on solutions” and calls on Hollywood to call him or his lawyers for an appointment.