Kim Dotcom Offers $5 Million Bounty For Whistleblowers To Help His Defense In U.S. Copyright Suit

Kim Dotcom, Megaupload founder, is giving out a $5 million reward to any whistleblower willing to leak information that would benefit his defense in copyright theft cases against him.

Kim Dotcom Offers $5 Million To Whistleblowers

Megaupload was a widely used website where users uploaded video content, mostly protected under piracy laws, and allowed users to stream video for free. In the U.S., Dotcom has been accused of racketeering, money laundering and copyright theft and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Dotcom believes that the U.S. unfairly targeted him in their investigation, leading him to become the defendant in one of the biggest copyright infringement cases the world has ever seen.

“We are asking for information that proves unlawful or corrupt conduct by the U.S. government, the New Zealand government, spy agencies, law enforcement and Hollywood,” Dotcom told TorrentFreak.

Dotcom added that should someone come forward to help him with his defense, he would cover any legal costs resulting from the whistleblower’s actions.

“I would also guarantee that any whistleblower coming forward would have the best legal representation at zero cost,” Dotcom added.

Kim Dotcom Believes U.S. Gov Targeted Him

According to TorrentFreak, Dotcom believes that President Barack Obama conspired with Hollywood to pursue charges against Dotcom in return for Hollywood support during the 2012 election.

“Former Senator and now MPAA chairman Chris Dodd and Vice President Joe Biden in particular have abused their political power to make the pre-trial destruction of Megaupload possible,” Dotcom claimed.

In the interview, Dotcom also defends his business, calling Megaupload “a legitimate cloud storage business.”

Kim Dotcom Trial Update

On June 11, Dotcom’s request to put all civil suits against himself or Megaupload users on hold until the criminal case is settled was approved.

However, the judge’s decision also gave the MPAA and RIAA the right to freeze Dotcom’s accounts if they saw fit. Currently, Dotcom is residing in New Zealand where he is fighting extradition, and his assets have been frozen.

“Plaintiffs may institute and pursue any action in the United States or a foreign jurisdiction to preserve Defendants’ assets in the event that such action becomes necessary,” Judge Judy O’Grady wrote in her decision.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.