Kim Dotcom
on his property in Auckland: If extradited and convicted in the USA, Kim faces up to 20 years in prison
Photo: REUTERS
In the fight against his threatened extradition to the USA, the German internet entrepreneur
Kim Dotcom
(47) suffered another defeat.
The New Zealand Supreme Court dismissed Dotcom's appeal on Tuesday.
Contrary to what he said, the entrepreneur was not the victim of a wrongful judgment, the court in Wellington ruled.
The US authorities accuse Dotcom of massive copyright infringement, fraud and money laundering.
He himself denies all allegations and accuses the US authorities of waging a campaign of revenge against him on behalf of the influential Hollywood film industry.
If extradited and convicted in the USA, he and two co-defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
Dotcom founded the online platform Megaupload in 2005, on which Internet users could upload and download files free of charge.
The US Department of Justice accuses him and three other operators of having set up the site as an exchange platform for copyrighted content such as films, television programs and other files.
The US Federal Police FBI classifies Dotcom's activities as the largest copyright infringement case in US history.
Megaupload achieved a profit of 175 million dollars, the damage should amount to at least 500 million dollars.
In January 2012, the US authorities switched off Megaupload, New Zealand police officers searched Dotcom's property in Auckland at the US request, confiscated works of art and several luxury cars and arrested Dotcom.
Since then he has resisted extradition.
cr / afp