Kim Dotcom has announced his plans for a Megaupload replacement which will use encryption to obscure uploaded content, dubbed Mega.
Any files uploaded to Mega will be specially encrypted so that the site itself has no idea what they are; Dotcom says this will absolve Mega of any copyright-based responsibility.
Or at least prevent it from being shut down or raided by US authorities by not technically violating US laws.
Megatron
"The new Mega will not be threatened by US prosecutors," the never-shy Dotcom tweeted.
"The new Mega avoids any dealings with US hosters, US domains and US backbone providers and has changed the way it operates to avoid another takedown."
Launching the holding page for the still-fairly-hypothetical site on Twitter, Dotcom said "millions of users" we trying to access the site, including "FBI agents" whose IP addresses he could see, causing him to "LOL!!!".
The larger-than-life web entrepreneur was arrested earlier this year and his New Zealand home raided (slightly less than legally, it turned out) for his part in Megaupload, a file-hosting site which allowed users to trade in copyright-protected material.
Dotcom's enthusiasm aside, the launch of Mega raises some questions of morality; the people behind Mega will be willingly turning a blind eye to whatever it is users feel like uploading.
Pirated songs and films are one thing, but we'll be interested to see how the site will safeguard against more damaging things like abusive content - after all, automatic filters can only do so much.
Via BBC
