Posted by Kate Potters, COO, Glenmont Group
As I’m preparing to go on vacation to visit my daughter in New Zealand, eDiscovery is not on the top of my mind. However, discovery is a global issue and New Zealand is no different. Although less litigious than the U.S. or Europe, this island country implemented new discovery rules in February in direct response to the rising cost of discovery dealing with large volumes of ESI. Sound familiar?
More fascinating than the EDRM model and the technical aspects are the stories behind the cases themselves. Clearwell’s eDiscovery blog mentions a case in New Zealand involving an internet billionaire, Mr. Dotcom. That’s right – he officially changed his name. He’s involved in the largest copyright infringement case in history. The U.S. is looking to extradite him because his business allegedly allows users to illegally download pirated material. His website has been “seized pursuant to an order issued by a U.S. District Court.” Here is the story of his arrest at his mansion outside of Auckland, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089954/Megaupload-founder-Kim-Dotcom-sprang-electronic-locks-Bond-villain-lair-police-swooped.html
He was released on bail and waiting a hearing in August on his extradition to the U.S.
If you’re interested in learning more about eDiscovery in Oceania read The NZ E-Discovery Blog http://www.e-discovery.co.nz/blog/a-judicial-commentary-on-new-zealands-new-discovery-rules.html or http://www.e-discovery.co.nz/
I plan to forget about business for a while and have some fun, but if I happen to learn anything new, I’ll be sure to post a follow up!
Hi Kate, compelling post. Have a great trip. To make your plane ride more enjoyable, here’s my article on the dotcom case and the whole notion of enforcing copyright across borders:
http://www.scmagazine.com/the-global-landscape-international-cooperation/article/232577/