Feds to Use Swizz Beatz as Way to Prosecute Megaupload in U.S.

Earlier this month, shuttered file-sharing website Megaupload asked the Federal court to dismiss its case against the United States because the U.S. law doesn’t allow criminal proceedings against foreign companies.

Well, the Feds are looking for an opening to go after Swizz Beatz and serving him a court summons, by claiming he was the CEO of the company, so that they could prosecute Megaupload on U.S. turf, according to TorrentFreak.com.

When Feds shut down the website this past January due to violating piracy laws, Swizzy was listed as the CEO of the company. He had even made a promotional video on behalf of Megaupload, boosting its brand and service with the help of some of his fellow artists. The “Mega Song” featured the likes of Diddy, Kanye West and will.i.am.

But the day after news of Megaupload shutting down hit the masses, Swizzy’s attorney announced that his client was not the CEO of the site.

But U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride says Swizzy represented Megaupload in front of the United States Trade Representative in December of last year and thus, he’s alleging that the Grammy-winning super producer was officially involved with the company.

“After defendant Dotcom [Kim] Dotcom became Defendant Megaupload’s Chief Innovation Officer, the company appears to have employed at least two Chief Executive Officers in the United States: first David Robb and then Kasseem David Dean (also known as Swizz Beatz)” a recent court filing from MacBride, as reported by TorrentFreak, suggests.

That would mean, Swizzy could be the recipient of a summons on behalf of Megaupload.

“Delivering a summons to Mr. Dean, a resident of the United States, in his capacity as apparent Chief Executive Officer should also constitute proper service of process upon an officer of the company,” the filing adds.

January's indictment alleged that Megaupload cost copyright holders more than $500 million in lost revenue from pirated music, films and other content, as reported by the Associated Press.—Mark Lelinwalla