Published Date: 10/23/24
In August 2024, we learned that one of the internet era’s leading jackasses will be, at long last, extradited from New Zealand to the United States. Once here, Kim Dotcom will FINALLY face trial on charges of copyright infringement, racketeering, money laundering, and wire fraud. Dotcom is WAY overdue for a reckoning.
It has been over TWELVE YEARS since Dotcom, owner of the notorious piracy site Megaupload, was indicted. Do you recall how flagrantly he stole from creatives? Are images of his mansion and luxury cars seared into your brain? They might be! They are certainly seared into ours!
We’re testing your memory with an interactive quiz! After, we’ll link to sources. No peeking!
Questions
1
How much damage, measured in dollars lost, did Megaupload and other Mega-branded sites inflict on rightsholders by distributing films, music, software, and other copyrighted media without permission?
We’ll use The Price Is Right rules: choose the figure closest to the real one without going over.
The closest answer is C) $500,000,000.
We wrote out the zeroes so that your eyes might linger on the total damage to creatives. It exceeded HALF A BILLION dollars.
Megaupload was a massive, commercial-scale infringer, but it was also part of an online ecosystem teeming with piracy sites. Video streaming piracy alone costs the U.S. economy between $29.2 billion and $71 billion, as well as between 230,000 and 560,000 jobs, every year.
In dishonor of Dotcom, let’s call that a mega-fucking-shame.
2
At the height of Megaupload’s popularity, it ranked among the most frequently visited websites in the world. What was the highest rank it achieved?
The correct answer is A) 13th.
That’s according to Alexa Internet, the web analysis tool that Amazon discontinued in May 2022. (Alexa remains the name of Amazon’s voice-operated digital assistant.)
It’s distressing but not surprising that a site devoted to massive piracy would climb so high in popularity. According to one study of internet traffic, 23.8% of all the bandwidth used in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region during 2012 was related to copyright infringement.
In other words, ALMOST ONE-FOURTH of internet traffic was devoted to piracy!! We have previously discussed the study here.
3
When Dotcom’s piracy sites were shut down in January 2012, how many registered users did they have?
The correct answer is D) 66.6 million.
But that does not come close to the number of people who used Megaupload to access infringing files.
Megaupload allowed anyone, not just account holders, to upload and download files. Creating an account was only necessary to enjoy perks, such as the ability to watch videos without time restrictions. Megaupload bragged that over ONE BILLION people had visited its site.
Unfortunately, it’s probably true.
4
When Megaupload discovered that a paying subscriber had repeatedly pirated popular films, what action did it typically take?
The correct answer is D) It gave the repeat infringer a cash reward.
Instead of complying with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by terminating the accounts of repeat infringers, Megaupload incentivized users to stock its sites with pirated media.
Megaupload gave premium members kickbacks for popular files through an Uploader Rewards Program. The more times a file was downloaded, the higher the value of the reward.
As an example, one subscriber had uploaded at least 57 pirated films and racked up over 85 complaints from rightsholders by June 2008. Instead of deleting the files and terminating the account, Megaupload paid that subscriber $3,400 during 2008-2009.
That was just a drop in the ocean. Ultimately, Megaupload doled out MILLIONS of dollars to thank subscribers for pirating popular content.
5
How much revenue did Dotcom’s piracy sites generate between September 2005 and January 2012?
The correct answer is C) At least $175 million.
The money came from subscriptions and digital ads.
On Megaupload, non-paying users often waited an hour or more for high-demand downloads. On Megavideo, they could only watch films in 72-minute increments.
By paying a monthly, yearly, or lifetime rate, subscribers could enjoy faster download speeds and limitless viewing. Over 6+ years of operation, Dotcom’s piracy sites made $150 million from subscriptions.
They made another $25 million from advertising. In August 2008, Dotcom launched Megaclick to handle digital ad placements. Previously, he relied on Google AdSense or similar services.
If you’re surprised to hear that the “Don’t Be Evil” giant helped to place ads on piracy sites – and CONTINUES to do so – then check out examples in The Google Timeline of Scandal and Strife.
6
Kim Dotcom hasn’t shown much remorse since police raided his New Zealand mansion and hauled away his luxury vehicles. Witness his 2016 music video, which is remarkable for showing off his ill-gotten gains and, even more so, for being TERRIBLE. What is the music video’s title?
The correct answer is B) “Good Life.”
In the music video, Dotcom stands on a yacht, DJs at a warehouse party, rides a jet ski, relaxes in a pool between two women, and surveys the countryside from a wooden rocking chair on top of a mountain.
If you watch the video, you can use the indictment’s list of forfeited property as a checklist. Auckland mansion? Check. Tacky sculptures? Check. Rolls-Royce with a license plate that says GOD? Check.
But where is that Mercedes-Benz with a license plate that says GUILTY? Hmm …
Scorecard
It’s time to find out how you did on the quiz! Don’t feel bad if you scored low. We asked you to recall precise details from many years ago.
0-2 Correct.
It looks like you mostly forgot about Megaupload while awaiting Dotcom’s trial. After this reminder of his large-scale theft from the creative community, you may need to process some feelings. We hear that is good for most humans, but we wouldn’t know. We prefer primal scream therapy.
3-4 Correct.
Good work! You recalled many facts, even though it has taken so long to bring Dotcom to justice. Assuming his extradition and trial go smoothly, you won’t have to jog your memory much more.
5-6 Correct.
Ah, a quiz taker after our own heart. Since you displayed perfect or nearly perfect recall, we assume that you, too, have been keeping an investigation wall covered with red thread and news about piracy rings. You can eat popcorn with us while Dotcom stands trial.
Thank you for taking our quiz! Piracy is a major threat to creatives in the internet age, so it’s important to stay informed.
If you agree, help us spread the word! Please send this quiz to your family members and friends.
Sources
Reuters broke the news of Dotcom’s pending extradition. Our celebratory quiz is based mainly on the superseding indictment, which was filed in February 2012.
Alexa Rankings for Megaupload were discussed in a 2012 article from CNN. Details of the police raid on Dotcom’s mansion were reported by The New York Times. Photos of confiscated cars were published by TechCrunch.
Dotcom’s music video can still be viewed, unfortunately, on his YouTube channel.
