The feds have charged seven people and two corporation with running an “international organized criminal enterprise” by pirating copyright works through Megaupload.com, the Justice Department and the FBI announced Thursday.
In one of the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the government, DOJ claimed MegaUpload made $175 million and caused over half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners.
Two corporations — Megaupload Limited and Vestor Limited — were indicted along with Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom (aka Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor), 37, and employees Finn Batato, 38, Julius Bencko, 35, Sven Echternach, 39, Mathias Ortmann, 40, Andrus Nomm, 32 and Bram van der Kolk, aka Bramos, 29.
