Two Megaupload programmers and associates of Kim Dotcom have been sentenced to prison in New Zealand, according to the New Zealand Herald. Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk were arrested in 2012 and have now been sentenced to two years and seven months and two years and six months in prison, respectively. The sentences are shorter than originally targeted because the two defendants have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with the FBI. They are also willing to testify against Dotcom. The two have admitted to fraud and similar offenses related to the file-sharing platform Megaupload. The judge stated that the platform was intentionally designed to cover up copyright infringement. Dotcom, who was also arrested in 2012, is still awaiting his legal fate, with the US government seeking his extradition. Despite the sentences of his associates, Dotcom remains determined to fight his case, stating that the US government’s weak position is evident in their willingness to make a deal with the two defendants.
