Interesting article on stuff, http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7054878/Dotcom-info-not-physical
A few direct quotes from that article
FBI agents who copied data from Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom’s computers and took it overseas were not acting illegally because information isn’t “physical material”, the Crown says.
However, Crown lawyer John Pike, for the attorney-general, said the material stored on the hard drives could be shipped overseas for the FBI to examine because it did not constitute “physical” material.
The relevant legislation applied only to physical possessions rather than information, Mr Pike said. “[Information] may be the most valuable thing we have, but it is not scooped up by the act”.
So what seems to have happened is the FBI sent private/privaledged data (personal data of Dotcom not approved by the courts to go overseas) overseas from New Zealand to the US in what would have been a violation of New Zealand law; but because the data did not constitute “physical” material
the NZ courts decided there was no problem if government agencies do it.
So how come it is illegal for private users to download non-physical data created and owned by somebody else, as in the new three strike rule NZ implemented; but government agencies can say electronic transfers of physical media don’t break any laws when government agencies do it ?.
I mean all they are charging dotcom in this case, and file downloaders in general using that new three strikes policy, is for transmitting electronic information; not physical; which the governmant says is legal if they do it.
Apparently laws are not for governments or government agencies to follow, in New Zealand anyway.
