Kim Dotcom Claims Companies Infringe On His Patent, Asks Them To Fund His Defense

Kim Dotcom, the Internet maverick behind the now-defunct Megaupload, went on to replace his government-squashed file hosting website with the newly launched service Mega. All of this followed the police raid on his home in 2012, prompting a legal battle and eventual lawsuit against New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau, also known as GCSB, for illegal spying. Now he has taken to Twitter, claiming that many big-name companies, including Google, Twitter, and Facebook , have infringed on his two-step verification patent, and in return he is asking for help funding his legal defense.

The issue concerns many companies' use of two-step verification, something Dotcom alleges he created and holds the patent for, which was filed in 1997. He goes on to link to his patent, which details the kind of two-step verification process mostly any Internet user will be familiar with. The information comes from Dotcom himself, who said in one tweet: "Twitter introduces Two-Step-Authentication. Using my invention. But they won't even verify my Twitter account?!"

This tweet was followed by another two tweets that hour, the next saying that Google, Twitter, Citibank, Facebook, and more all utilize two-step verification that infringes on his patent. The following tweet then offers the "big reveal," saying that in excess of 1 billion two-step authentications take place online every week.

All was silent for an hour, then another tweet popped up, this one stating that Dotcom has been aware of the mass violations of his patent but "never sued them" due to a belief in the mutual sharing of ideas and knowledge that better society in some way. He then insinuates that a lawsuit against one – or all – companies could take place, however, over "what the U.S. did to me," regarding the legal turmoil resulting from the Megaupload debacle.

This is rounded out by a tweet telling Facebook, Google, and Twitter that they can continue to use his patent for free. He implores them to help fund his legal defense, saying they "are all in the same DMCA boat." He goes on to explain that his defense case is looking to have a price tag of at least $50 million, linking to a whitepaper on the matter. At the end of it all came a tweet asking if anyone wants to buy a world-wide license to use his patent.

SOURCE: The Verge