UPDATE (Warning! For Kim Dotcom completests only): A number of readers have noted the giant giraffe statues at Dotcom Mansion (between the trees on the left in the photo below; click to enlarge).
The popular take is that they're yet another one of the giant German's japes. But in fact, an NBR veteran informs me, the giraffes were a gift from Chrisco co-founder Richard Bradley to his wife Ruth.
One of Mr Dotcom's attorney's in the US, Ira Rothken, seems to have kicked off a bit of a PR campaign.
Earlier today, Mr Rothken told high-profile tech site Ars Technica that Kim's Megaupload is "Just like YouTube."
The US Department of Jusice indictment seems to have anticipated this one.
It points out that Megaupload allowed a user to watch 72 minutes of a movie - which in many cases the DoJ alleges were pirated. Of course, most movies are longer than that; Megaupload users had to pay to see the rest.
A tank appears at Dotcom Mansion
Meanwhile... there was another dash of crazy to end another Kim Dotcom day.
A few minutes ago, around 6.30pm, a neighbour contacted NBR to say a tank has appeared outside the German giant's rented Coatesville mansion.
It could be a message to media, and the world at large; it could be part of what appeared to be party preparations at the house today (presumably in hope of a successful bail bid).
Military types, feel free to leave a comment identifying the military vehicle - or prop - in question [UPDATE: the Twitter consensus on the photos below: it's an inflatable].
Possibly, like the emails to neighbours revealed this morning, it's another example of Mr Dotcom's Teutonic sense of humour.
Escape from New Zealand
Lastly, my eyebrows were raised by Judge David McNaughton's comment, as part of his rationale for denying bail, that Kim Dotcom could access forged travel documents.
The defendant is 2 metres tall (six foot six inches) and weighs a reported 130kg (which seems a conservative estimate).
It would take more than a forged passport to get him through Customs.
(Click any photo to zoom.)
Comments and questions17
Looks like an inflatible T72, popular with cash strapped dictators and bouncy catle operators.
Erm, NZ army doesn't have any tanks and it looks like a blow up tank..
He needs some inflatable F16s to go with that. Or more tanks. http://www.military-decoy.com/tank.php
If it not one of Alan Gibbs', it probably an inflatable.
My favourite is the giraffe statue.
This guy is providing far more than $10 million of entertainment. Give his bond back!
yep, haven't had so much fun in coatesville since grandma died
Next thing the US will send down a warship to respond
The problem won't be for the Coatesville residents when they deploy missiles
It will probably be the residents of Beachlands or Maraetai when the yanks get their co ordinates wrong - they normally do in every combat they are involved in.
Not sure why the govt is ducking for cover over granting him residency - clearly we have a net gain in cash, entertainment and no NZ victims - everyone's a winner.
This was rather interesting, in Forbes.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/01/24/is-this-the-real-reason-why-megaupload-was-shut-down/
I love conspiracy theories !
Thanks for the Forbes post as this one has some real credibility.
Gem of an article.
Where can I buy one of these blow-up "dolls"???
Shame he didn't have the tank last week It may have helped the NZ Police to justify the excessive use of force of 80 Keystone cops and 2 helicopters to scare a pregnant women and arrest 4 geeks. Meanwhile according to Close Ups expose on Monday night paedophiles freely roam Auckland seeking young girls.
While our media's focus is on the charactor assasination of Kim Dotcom they are conveniently overlooking the real issue behind this unprecedented action by the media industry which may not really be about piracy but rather an effort to stop the new service that Megaupload was about to launch that would have revolutionised the Music / Entertainment business.
Techcrunch has a good summary at:
http://tcrn.ch/yxyCum
Dotcom has rocked the White House. Obama said in his State of the Union address that he is beefing up the military in the South Pacific. Perhaps Obama got confused with Dotcom as there is no China in the South Pacific. Watch out Long Bay residents, the US sixth fleet will be there in no time.
shouldn't this be dot yawn??? whats tomorrows headlines, Fat kraut sneezes, belches or farts? shall we all collectively swoon???? I dont know about you guys but I am over this
Kim Dotcom's flight risk wasn't the risk in play. Risk analysis is the likelihood of the event times the scale of the negative outcome.
I think the judge got it right, had Kim Dotcom managed to jump bail our American cousins, the ones who instigated this high profile warning to the file locker industry and others, would be very upset.
Consequently, despite our willingness to have our labour law dictated by Warner executives, this lapse of obedience might cost us future movie productions.
Hilarious when you consider Lamar's spin that American jobs are at risk, the amount of overseas production Hollywood gets to blackmail us with.
Does NBR have any interest in investigating the numbers that apparently justify this absurd exercise?:
1. US$500,000,000 "harm" to copyrights holders
2. How much NZ tax payer dollars have been spent on this
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