Kim Dotcom loses 12-year fight to halt deportation from New Zealand to face US copyright case

Kim Dotcom, founder of the once wildly popular file-sharing website Megaupload, lost a 12-year fight this week to halt his deportation from New Zealand to the U.S. on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. New Zealand’s Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith divulged Friday that he had decided Dotcom should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial. A date for the extradition was not set and Goldsmith said Dotcom would be allowed time to get advice on the decision. A lawyer for Dotcom signaled an appeal. Prosecutors said Megaupload raked in millions from people who used the site to illegally download copyrighted works. Defense lawyers say the users of the site were responsible, not the founders.