Police Admit Sentencing in MegaUpload Case

Police have upheld the sentences of Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, who were involved in the reproduction and distribution of millions of works through MegaUpload.com.

The pair were sentenced today in Auckland High Court on charges including joining an organized crime group, conspiring to defraud losses and conspiring to obtain fraudulent documents.

Both Ortmann and van der Kork were sentenced to two years and seven months in prison, and two years and six months each.

MegaUpload.com operated from 2005 to 2012 and was one of the largest and most sophisticated cyber locker platforms in the world.

This site and several others associated with it hosted and made available for download millions of copyrighted songs, movies, TV shows, e-books, video games, and computer programs. .

MegaUpload claims to have had 180 million registered users at its peak, with an average of 50 million daily visitors.

Lieutenant Stuart Mills, manager of interception and technical operations for the National Criminal Investigative Group, said the scale of the crime was enormous.

“MegaUpload was a global criminal enterprise estimated to have caused over $500 million in damages to copyright holders.

“As one of the largest copyright fraud schemes ever seen, Operation MegaUpload involved the willful and systematic infringement of copyrighted material for financial gain. was

“We exploited the work of artists, programmers, entrepreneurs, and the organizations and companies that represent them.”

Mills said today’s ruling reflects a long-standing effort by New Zealand police to work with the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to initially seek the extradition of Ortmann and van der Kork.

One continues to face extradition requests from the United States.

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Published by Police Media Center