Last week, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was photographed next to MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom during Wozniak's visit to New Zealand. Today, Wozniak has officially put his support for Dotcom and their fight against the US government, who shut down the site and arrested Dotcom for charges of online content piracy in January.
In an email interview with News.com, Wozniak said:
When governments dream up charges of 'racketeering' for a typical IT guy who is just operating a file-sharing service, or accuse him of mail fraud because he said he had removed files [to alleged infringing content] when he'd just removed the links to them, this is evidence of how poorly thought out the attempt to extradite him is. Prosecutors are attempting to take advantage of loopholes.
Wozniak also said that MegaUpload was deleting links to pirated content on their site before the US forced it to shut down. While he says that violating copyright laws is "wrong" he adds that should not halt digital innovation. He stated, "When you can't stop something like a steamroller, get out of the way."
Dotcom and several other MegaUpload team members are currently awaiting an important hearing in August that should decide whether or not they will be extradited to the US to face the online piracy charges.
Source: News.com | Image via Instagram
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