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MegaUpload Founders Not Allowed to Go on the Internet

AP
Dino Grandoni 991 Views Feb 15, 2012

One of the rather sensible terms of the bail set for one MegaUpload founder, arrested over a month ago for the "international organized criminal enterprise" (Justice Department's words) he and others ran, is a ban from the very Internet that got him famous as a cyberpirate. Mathias Ortmann, one of the several founders of the now-shuttered file-sharing site, was released on bail today to join fellow MegaUploaders Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato in van der Kolk's home. All three have bail conditions that "are strict and include a complete ban on Internet access." Which makes sense since these were the guys Internet-savvy enough to create one of the world's most popular pirated movie and music domain ever. Who knows what they could do if given the chance.

Meanwhile, the United States is praising the raid New Zealand authorities pulled to arrest the site's top brass, according to the police themselves in the country. The most colorful MegaUpload founder, the round and proud playboy Kim Dotcom, was denied bail in late January after being deemed a flight risk. His next hearing is set for February 22.

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