A hacker turned entrepreneur is targeted in the ongoing fight against online piracy in Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web. German-born Kim Dotcom (formerly Schmitz) was one of the most notorious hackers, before becoming a legit businessman, as the founder of the file sharing website MegaUpload. The site becomes a huge success for Dotcom, however it also makes him a target for the FBI, as MegaUpload was often used to share and download feature length movies.
Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web is only the latest example of a technology entrepreneur being targeted in the fight against online piracy. The story of MegaUpload is actually quite similar to that of Napster, except that the illegal downloads involved movies instead of music. However, probably the most interest aspect to Kim Dotcom's story is that the FBI performed a full on raid in 2012 of Kim Dotcom's estate in New Zealand, which is shown in the film through security footage.
Following previous documentaries, such as Downloaded and The Internet's Own Boy, stories such as the one told in Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web are starting to get somewhat repetitive. If anything, this documentary continues to demonstrate that lawmakers and copyright holders would rather made an example of someone, instead of finding a way to properly and legally utilize the technology. However, the story of Kim Dotcom is definitely unique in how far the authorities went to take him down.
LIKED IT Screenings
- Tuesday, May 2, 9:30 PM – Hart House Theatre
- Thursday, May 4, 10:45 AM – TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
- Saturday, May 6, 5:45 PM – TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
