Megaupload

Megaupload

Megaupload Limited, best known for its closed websites including the top-15 file hosting service megaupload.com, is an online Hong Kong–based company established in 2005 that ran a number of online services related to file storage and viewing. The domain names were seized and the sites associated with Megaupload were shut down by the United States Department of Justice on 19 January 2012, following the indictment and arrests of the owners for allegedly operating as an organization dedicated to copyright infringement. HK$330 million (approximately US$42 million) worth of assets were frozen by the Customs and Excise Department of Hong Kong.

The company's founder, Kim Dotcom, has denied any wrongdoing, and the case against Dotcom, who is a resident of New Zealand, has been the subject of controversy over its legality. The US judge handling the case has expressed doubts about whether the case will come to court.

The shutdown of Megaupload led to denial-of-service attacks on a range of websites belonging to the U.S. government and copyright organisations.