Kim Dotcom wins right to livestream legal fight against U.S.August 30, 2016 - 10:07 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A New Zealand judge gave permission on Tuesday, August 30 for the hearing of German tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom's appeal against his extradition to be streamed on YouTube, making it the country's first court case to be broadcast on the Internet, Reuters said. The six-week hearing opened in Auckland this week, nine months after a lower court ruled Kim Dotcom could be sent to the United States to face copyright infringement and money-laundering charges over the filesharing website Megaupload. The case has been closely watched by the media industry and developers in the file-sharing business for signs of how far the United States is willing to go to protect U.S. copyright holders. "It's very important that the entire world gets to see the courtroom," said Dotcom's lawyer, Ira Rothken. "The Internet isn't run by any one nation, so we thought the solution itself would come from the Internet." Dotcom was arranging for a videographer to start recording the proceedings from Wednesday, the lawyer added. They will appear on Youtube with a 20-minute time lag to ensure removal of any material suppressed by the court. The judge ordered the stream to be taken down at the end of the hearing. New Zealand government prosecutors, who are representing the United States, had argued against the live streaming. The government law office did not immediately respond to a request for comment but a spokeswoman on Monday said it was not appropriate to comment while the matter was before the courts. Media reported that the lawyers had argued on behalf of the U.S. that live streaming could be prejudicial, as submissions made in the New Zealand court could be inadmissible in a future trial in the United States. Legal experts believe the live streaming of an entire hearing will be a first in New Zealand, although domestic media sometimes film brief snatches of courtroom argument. "The New Zealand judiciary have been very cautious about letting cameras into the courtroom," said Bill Hodge, a criminal law professor at Auckland University, adding that the exceptional nature of the case could have contributed to the decision. Years of legal wrangling followed Dotcom's arrest during a raid by New Zealand police working in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2012. It later emerged that the Government Communications Security Bureau had illegally spied on him before the raid. U.S. authorities say Dotcom and three co-accused Megaupload executives cost film studios and record companies more than $500 million and generated more than $175 million by encouraging paying users to store and share copyrighted material. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |