Kim Dotcom can sleep easy in his own bed...if he can afford the rent. A New Zealand court ruled that the Megaupload founder shouldn't be sent back to jail or forced to wear a monitoring bracelet, but despite the freedom they've afforded him, he can't afford to do much else. He told the unBound Digital conference via video link that his legal battle had rendered him penniless, according to Billboard.
Dotcom suggests that toward the end of his two-year trial he had spent upwards of $10 million (New Zealand) and when the cash dried up, his attorneys left, meaning any further legal challenges will be battled without aid. And more legal challenges there shall be. The United States is attempting to extradite him from New Zealand on charges of racketeering related to Megaupload, a site used by to pirate millions of songs, sorting the basis for potentially the biggest copyright case in history. Dotcom has argued that he can't be held responsible for the behavior of users on his sites. He is currently scheduled for extradition in June 2015, although that date has been pushed back several times.
Prosecutors said his accounts had been frozen due to his attempts to reach a former business partner. He's also been banned from traveling in his personal helicopter or boat (lest he attempt to flee the country) and he must report to police at least twice a week.
"I'm an easy target because of my flamboyant lifestyle," he said during the conference. "It's hard to keep a low profile when you have number plates with 'GOD' and 'STONED' on them."
Part of that flamboyance was his launch of the Internet Party, a failed political entity. Although his accounts are frozen at the moment, if he ever gets his hands on those dollars, he'll be sure to hold onto them for further legal battles.
