US prosecutors confirm no progress in Kickass Torrents extradition proceedings

[Captain Marvel]

It’s been quite some time since we last reported on the legal case against the man accused of running the once uber-popular file-sharing site Kickass Torrents. That’s because there haven’t really been any developments in said case. But now we have a development. Yes, a development! So, let’s get reporting on that, shall we? The latest development in the Kickass case is a court filing that confirms, erm, well, that there haven’t really been any developments. Progress!

Artem Vaulin was arrested in Poland in July 2016 at the request of the US authorities, shortly before the Kickass file-sharing site was forced offline. Prosecutors in the US want to extradite him so that he can face charges of criminal copyright infringement in the American courts. A Polish court approved Vaulin’s extradition the following March, but then a lengthy appeals process began, which is still ongoing.

This means that, while the Vaulin case initially seemed to be progressing in a pretty speedy fashion, it could end up being as long-drawn-out as the whole MegaUpload debacle. US authorities have been trying to extradite MegaUpload chief Kim Dotcom from New Zealand to face similar charges of criminal copyright infringement in the American courts ever since 2012, so far without success.

Efforts by Vaulin’s lawyers to have the case against their client dismissed entirely in the US courts failed, but they did ultimately secure the Kickass man bail so that he doesn’t have to spend his time in jail as he goes through the slow process of fighting extradition.

It was in the US courts that we got an update – or a non-update – on the proceedings. Spotted by Torrentfreak, a recent legal filing from American prosecutors reads: “Defendant is still undergoing extradition proceedings in Poland, and the parties are not currently aware of a timetable for a resolution of those proceedings. Accordingly, no discovery has been produced, and the parties do not currently need a court date to be set within the next 60 days”.

The filing concludes: “If that changes, the parties will contact the court”. If it does and they do, rest assured, we’ll be back to you with an update.