Kim Dotcom, the man behind the now defunct file-sharing site Megaupload, has launched a new service called Mega.
Like Megaupload, which was shut down following polie raids on Dotcom's New Zealand mansion in January 2012, Mega is a web service that allows users to upload and store files to the cloud.
Further reading
Kim Dotcom unveils Mega, the 'completely secure' successor to Megaupload FileSonic deactivates file-sharing following Megaupload closure Megaupload website shut down by US officials
Dotcom used yesterday's launch party of the service to attack US prosecutors who shut down Megaupload, and are still chasing his extradition to the US to face charges for alleged copyright infringements.
The party featured a mocking representation of the raid on his mansion, including performers dressed in military apparel waving guns, and a helicopter circling overhead with the letters "FBI" painted on its side.
Dotcom used the platform of the launch to state that Megaupload had been unfairly targeted, claiming that half of all internet traffic is pirated material.
"They are trying to blame us for an internet phenomenon. You can ask any ISP that connects users to the internet, how much piracy traffic do you think you have on your network, and anyone who will tell you less than 50 per cent is a liar. On the internet, piracy is so common that any internet company has to deal with the same issues," he said.
"They can't blame me for the actions of third parties. Megaupload was a dual-use technology. You can use it for good things, and you can use it for bad things. If someone sends something illegal in an envelope through your postal service, you don't shut down the post office. If someone speeds with the car he just bought, you don't go to the car manufacturer and say, hey, we're shutting you down."
According to Dotcom, Mega has already experienced early success.
"I've never seen anything like this," Dotcom said. "I've done a bit of PR and got a bit of attention, that's certainly helped. But I never expected 250,000 user registrations in the first two hours - I think it's unheard of. I don't know of any other startup that has had this kind of early success."
Mega offers 50GB of free storage to users, more than competing offerings such as Dropbox and Microsoft's SkyDrive.
Mega will also feature encryption built in as standard, partly in an effort to aid user privacy, but also to prevent the simple mass-sharing of files, which ultimately caused the demise of Dotcom's previous venture.
