Kim Dotcom offers £3m bounty in online piracy case

Kim Dotcom is offering a $5m (£3m) "bounty" to whistleblowers for information to help fight an online piracy case brought by the US.

The Megaupload founder, who is resisting extradition from New Zealand, said he had to resort to offering the money because the deck was stacked against him in one of the largest copyright infringement cases ever brought.

"My case is unfair," the German national tweeted. "I was declined discovery, I didn't get my own data back, I need whistleblowers I am offering USD $5M."

Dotcom, whose Megaupload empire was shut down in January 2012, has long argued that US authorities, aided by close ally New Zealand, illegally targeted him at the behest of Hollywood studios.

He told technology news website TorrentFreak.com that the multimillion dollar offer was aimed at helping him prove that allegation.

"We are asking for information that proves unlawful or corrupt conduct by the US government, the New Zealand government, spy agencies, law enforcement and Hollywood," he said.

"It is the opinion of my legal team that disclosure of such information would be lawful. I would also guarantee any whistleblower coming forward would have the best legal representation at zero cost."

Dotcom's extradition hearing is scheduled to begin in Auckland on 7 July although it has already been delayed several times amid legal wrangling over evidence disclosure.

If the 40-year-old and his three co-accused are sent to the US they will face charges of racketeering, money laundering and copyright theft, carrying potential jail terms of 20 years.

The US justice department and FBI claim Megaupload and related sites netted more than $175 m in criminal proceeds, and cost copyright owners more than $500m by offering pirated copies of movies, TV shows and other content.

Major music labels and the film industry in the US have also filed lawsuits against the filesharing site. Dotcom has launched a new venture called Mega while on bail.