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Dotcom talking point for Key and Obama

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Key and Obama talk Dotcom

3News NZ

Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom

By Laura McQuillan

Internet-piracy accused millionaire Kim Dotcom was the elephant in the room when John Key and US President Barack Obama chatted in Cambodia - but the Prime Minister is refusing to confirm or deny his name came up.

Dotcom, a German who also holds New Zealand residency, is fighting extradition to the United States on a series of charges related to his Megaupload website.

It has been widely speculated the matter would come up when Mr Key and Mr Obama met in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh at the East Asia Summit, where they also took part in talks over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

For the US, intellectual property is a major sticking point in the trade deal - including issues over copyright.

But it wasn't during those discussions that Dotcom's name arose.

Mr Key confirmed he and Mr Obama had "quite a long chat" at some point on Tuesday morning, but refused to say whether Dotcom was part of that, telling media "I'm not going to go through the discussions I have with him."

Asked what subjects were raised, Mr Key refused to say.

"I'm not going to go through those. I have private conversations with people all the time."

However, he then confirmed they didn't talk about the US fiscal cliff but did discuss the renewed conflict in Gaza.

Dotcom recently suggested the New Zealand Government was playing an active role outside of its extradition treaty with the US government being invoked - a claim disputed by Mr Key.

NZN

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Comments

27/11/2012 5:16:05 p.m.

dennis wrote:

"The case also involved people from other countries, who would have been legitimate targets of the G.C.S.B." Reported in today's Herald. Not so. German, Finnish and Dutch citizens and companies cannot be spied on without authority or reason to do so. The German Court has refused to allow this matter to be treated as a mutually assisted "criminal matter" because it is not a criminal matter. Finnish crimes contain "eavesdropping" which is the same and does not need to occur in Finland to be enforceable. Even if the Government Solicitor really did not know what on earth the G.C.S.B. were doing at "planning meetings" you would think that he would offer some friendly advice that they should not be tempted to spy on Germans and their companies. Really incredible what they will write in affidavits isn't it? And the poor judges have to accept this, daily. And it is the truth. It must be. It is sworn by a Crown solicitor. This is why various people have decided to attend the Court of Appeal dressed as Alice, from Wonderland!

26/11/2012 8:26:06 p.m.

dennis wrote:

You have it wrong, Mr Crown Solicitor. It was your position under the extradition process to support and request Judge Harvey's directions. Not to act against them for the US D.O.J.. Now that evidence of bad faith is exposed within the US warrant application you are in the ridiculous position of being on the wrong side of the case and the law. New Zealand's Courts and processes have been treated with contempt. You will eventually be in the position of having to take action against the US perpetrators of a matter initiated in bad faith. Perhaps you should seek legal advice?

25/11/2012 10:19:45 p.m.

dennis wrote:

29 May court order species disclosure within 3 weeks. The clock starts ticking. An appeal brings about a deferment of the order pending US appeal. The appeal is dismissed. The clock resumes. An appeal to the Court of Appeal is lodged. Is there an order from the District Court or the Court of Appeal staying the order a second time? Catch them out at their own games Kim and Bram

24/11/2012 3:19:01 p.m.

jan.. wrote:

I guessed my previous non plublish comment wasn't approved,no harm done, but I definately agreed with RUZ.

23/11/2012 9:09:36 a.m.

dennis wrote:

The copyright charges are being treated as criminal offences because....... I want an answer to this. I want an answer from Judge Dawson. I want an answer from Justice Winkelmann. I want an answer from Justice Potter. I want an answer from Justice French. I want an answer from Justice France. I want an answer from Justice Arnold. I want an answer from Judge O'Grady. I want an answer from Chris Finlayson. I want an answer from Judith Collins. I want an answer from a real prime minister, who doesn't play with our country like a stocks and shares market

22/11/2012 11:55:13 a.m.

dennis wrote:

Kim tweets to his 159,320 followers: "Can't wait to get access to Grand Jury transcript of the first Indictment. It will be spicy like my favorite Indian Curry dish" I haven't toted-up that one, but the second contains the words "conspiracy" and "co-conspirators" THREE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN TIMES! Considering that the Company is described as a "conspiracy" this is like chanting "witch, witch, witch" at a Salem trial. I seriously thought that Justice Asher would object to this and start locking-up the people who put it in front of him if they had the audacity to be sitting in his Courtroom, and was rather disillusioned when he chose to lock up Kim on the basis of it

22/11/2012 6:38:29 a.m.

KEYGOTLOST wrote:

Unless Key can illustrate a "conspiracy" by GCSB staff to hide Megaupload espionage from the Prime Minister, Key is a criminal. That is chain of command. "Look Ma: no hands" does not come into an organisation that exists to provide serious intelligence. The "indiscretion" is far more serious than that of Petraeus. The wrong person is on "gardening leave". The FACT is that Kim Dotcom is not a criminal under German law and the more SIGNIFICANT FACT is that neither is Megaupload, which means that the US Department of Justice must have been hijacked somehow. It is time that our Court applied law, having successfully ruined this company for 10 months for no reasoned meaning

21/11/2012 10:14:00 p.m.

Carlos wrote:

...and his passage to Gitmo, can't wait !

21/11/2012 6:05:47 p.m.

Dotcomgetlost wrote:

Are you all kidding? more media hype about nothing of relevance. Oh but thats right, all you dotcommers want the rest of the population to forget the FACT that the fat German is a CRIMINAL. boohoo for mr dotcom, your luck ran out in the 4th country youve tried to hide in. Time to go find more suckers to take you in.

21/11/2012 5:36:42 p.m.

Chris wrote:

Labour supporters are deluding them selves. I think the left need to sort out their own chaotic and deeply divided party first and not worry about Dot. Com. or Key. Sure they can if they want but that won't win them the election. Labour are self destructing yet again which is a good thing for normal thinking Kiwis. Keeping the rotten socialist away from power is the best outcome for everyone.