Megaupload

Megaupload was a file hosting and sharing service founded in 2005 by Kim Dotcom and collaborators. The service allowed users to upload files and generate download links, with premium accounts offering faster speeds and higher storage limits. It grew rapidly and became one of the best-known services of its kind, hosting a wide range of content.

In 2012, U.S. law enforcement authorities indicted Dotcom and several associates on charges including racketeering, copyright infringement, and money laundering, alleging that Megaupload operated as a criminal enterprise that harmed copyright holders. The site was seized and shut down, its domain disabled, and its servers taken into custody. Dotcom and others were arrested in New Zealand and faced extradition proceedings to the United States. The case drew widespread attention to issues surrounding online piracy, domain seizures, and due process in the enforcement of copyright laws on the internet.

Following the shutdown, plans for Megaupload’s revival did not materialize, but Kim Dotcom launched a new cloud storage service, Mega, in 2013. Mega positioned itself around enhanced privacy and end-to-end encryption, differentiating itself from Megaupload’s prior model.

The Megaupload case remains a notable example in discussions of digital piracy enforcement, cloud storage business models, and cross-border legal action. It highlighted tensions between intellectual property enforcement, user rights, and the legal processes available to internet-based services operating across national jurisdictions.