Dotcom tells US 'I'm not your enemy'

[BillyBootlace]

Kim Dotcom has invited Hollywood movie makers to lunch at his Coatesville mansion and urged them to stop picking on him.

In a public letter, originally published in the Hollywood Reporter, the founder of file-hosting website Megaupload accuses Motion Picture Association of America chief executive and former senator Chris Dodd of lobbying his friends in the White House ''to turn me into a villain who has to be destroyed''.

He tells Hollywood movie makers: ''The internet frightens you. But history has taught us that the greatest innovations were built on rejections. The VCR frightened you, but it ended up making billions of dollars in video sales.''

Dotcom refers to the fact that Megaupload may be seen as a threat by Hollywood.

''Providing 'freemium' cloud storage to society is not a crime. What will Hollywood do when smartphones and tablets can wirelessly transfer a movie file within milliseconds?

''The fact remains that the benefits of Megaupload to society outweigh the burdens. But instead of adapting, you imported one of your action-conspiracy movie scripts into the real world.

''Due process? Rule of law? Eliminate me and my innovation and worry about the consequences later. Never mind that millions of Megaupload users lost access to cloud data like their wedding photos. Well done, Hollywood.''

Dotcom said he was not against Hollywood and loved movies.

"I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for the mind-altering glimpse at the future in Star Wars. I am at the forefront of creating the cool stuff that will allow creative works to thrive in an internet age. I have the solutions to your problems. I am not your enemy.''

He suggested the people of the internet would unite and help him and they would prevail in the war for internet freedom and innovation.

''Regardless of the issues you have with new technologies, you can't just engage armed forces halfway around the world, rip a peaceful man from his family, throw him in jail, terminate his business without a trial, take everything he owns without a hearing, deprive him of a fair chance to defend himself and do all that while your propaganda machine is destroying him in the media. Is that who you want to be?

''There can still be a happy ending. I am working on solutions. Just call me or my lawyers. You know where to find me. Unfortunately I can only do lunch in New Zealand.''

Dotcom is awaiting an extradition hearing due to be held in March, more than a year after his arrest on copyright charges laid by the United States government.

He is wanted on charges of internet piracy.

Yesterday Judge David Harvey, who was to oversee Dotcom's extradition case, said he was standing down after he jokingly referred to the United States as the ''enemy'' during an internet conference debate last week.

The case will now be heard by Judge Nevin Dawson.

Original article: http://www.stuff.co....-not-your-enemy