The New Zealand Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has signed the extradition order for the internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, which brings a years-long legal dispute to a new level. If the extradition is carried out, Dotcom would have to face trial in the USA. There, he is accused of, among other things, massive copyright violations, fraud, and money laundering in connection with his former file-sharing website Megaupload.

Goldsmith stated that he had carefully reviewed all available information and decided that Dotcom should be extradited to the USA. However, he emphasized that Dotcom had been given a short period to reconsider the decision and seek legal advice. The Minister did not want to make any further comments at this time.

Kim Dotcom, born as Kim Schmitz in Germany, has resided in New Zealand since 2010. He became known in the 1990s as a hacker under the pseudonym "Kimble" and later as an entrepreneur who surrounded himself with prominent personalities and hosted large parties. His platform Megaupload, founded in 2005, enabled users to upload and download files for free. The US authorities accuse Dotcom of systematically using Megaupload as a platform for trading copyrighted content.

In January 2012, Megaupload was shut down at the behest of US authorities, and New Zealand police raided Dotcom's estate in Auckland, where they confiscated numerous luxury items. Dotcom and his colleagues have since been fighting extradition to the USA. The FBI describes Megaupload's activities as the largest case of copyright infringement in US history, with estimated profits of $175 million and damages of at least $500 million.

Dotcom appeared combative on the platform X (formerly Twitter) and declared that he had a plan and would not leave New Zealand. However, he did not provide any details. Observers expect that Dotcom will initiate legal action once again, which could prolong the proceedings for years.