Despite the U.S. government warning Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom not to launch the file-sharing's site successor in the form of 'Mega', he recently announced its release date, with the holding page for the website apparently receiving millions of hits soon after.
In order to avoid the possibility of the U.S. seizing the domain as it did with Megaupload.com, Dotcom purchased the Gabon-based domain .ga. However, Blaise Louembe, Gabon's communications minister, won't allow the domain to go live.
Louembe has said www.me.ga will be suspended and stressed the miniature West African nation "cannot serve as a platform or screen for committing acts aimed at violating copyrights, nor be used by unscrupulous people."
Ira Rothken, the attorney overseeing Megaupload's defense (Dotcom faces extradition to the United States), confirmed that the new site will not be available at Me.ga, but the service is still scheduled for a release.
"The [new] site is not even functional yet," Rothken told CNET. "MegaUpload and Kim are innocent and presumed innocent. It sounds like a lack of net neutrality in Gabon...We're just going to use a different domain."
Mega is promised to be raid-proof through an "Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm". Dotcom stressed the website is not "a giant middle finger to Hollywood and the DoJ" -- its rules will allow copyright holders to send the DMCA a takedown notice to delete copyright-infringing content.
