Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom can sue New Zealand spy agency

DIGITAL ENTREPRENEUR Kim Dotcom can sue the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) because it illegally spied on him.

He has already confirmed that he will do so, and on Twitter he asked New Zealand, where he has made his home, how much longer it will endure the shame of the case.

How much longer will the New Zealand government hurt its reputation on a global scale by supporting a malicious U.S. contract prosecution?

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) March 7, 2013

Following the Autumn revelation that GCSB unlawfully intercepted communications between Dotcom and other people involved in Megaupload and unlawfully helped the police obtain search warrants, New Zealand prime minister John Key issued an apology.

"I apologise to Mr Dotcom, I apologise to New Zealanders because every New Zealander that sits within the category of having permanent residency or is a New Zealand citizen is entitled to be protected from the law when it comes to the GCSB, and we failed to provide that appropriate protection for him," he said.

"My own view is the agency has let itself down very badly, it essentially failed at the most basic of hurdles, there are a number of times when it could have resolved the issue, and in fact New Zealanders were entitled to believe the agency would have performed a lot better."

That view, that the agency let itself down, is presumably shared by the court that told Dotcom to go ahead and sue the GCSB. He's happy of course, and his lawyer says that they are looking forward to a successful outcome.

We look forward to holding GCSB spy org accountable doing so will not only protect @kimdotcom's rights but the rights of all NZ residents

— Ira Rothken (@rothken) March 7, 2013

The ‘going well for the prosecution" file on the Megaupload case is a lot slimmer than the "going well for the defence" one. µ