Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak offers support for Megaupload's Kim DotCom, as DotCom says the planned launch of 'Megabox', a service that aims to shake up the music industry by allowing artists to bypass the major labels, is still on
Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak visited Kim DotCom when he was in New Zealand last month, DotCom revealed via Twitter this week. But more surprisingly, DotCom has also revealed that plans to launch a new website called 'Megabox' is still one, despite the closure of Megaupload and pending criminal charges.
DotCom tweeted a picture of himself with Wozniak, and praised the Apple co-founder's support for the EFF, which is supporting efforts to allow users who used Megaupload legitimately to get back their files, despite no assistance whatsoever from government prosecutors.
And the thought to be dead Megabox project, appears to not be as dead as first thought.
As reported by Digital Digest back in January, Megabox aims to shake up the music industry by allowing artists to sell directly to music lovers, bypassing the very recording industry that was instrumental in lobbying the government to take action against Megaupload. Megabox would also share revenue earned from downloads, even illegally uploaded downloads, with artists. Megabox plans to offer artists up to 90% of all revenue earned from music sales, reversing the current relationship artists have with recording studios.
Shortly after the US government seized Megaupload and DotCom's assets back in January, some commentators even hinted that the planned launch of Megabox in 2012 may have been a factor in the timing of the Megaupload closure, as a preemptive strike by the major labels to prevent a major, and unwanted shakeup, of the music industry.
But it seems even with all the setbacks, Megabox is still set for launch, at least according to DotCom.