Extradition hearing against Kim Dotcom ends, could be sent to U.S.

Kim Dotcom sits in the Auckland District Court during an extradition hearing in Auckland, New Zealand in this Sept. 21, 2015 file photo. (Jason Oxenham / New Zealand Herald via AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - An extradition hearing pushed by the U.S. against Kim Dotcom and three others who helped run the website Megaupload ended in New Zealand on Tuesday after nine weeks.

A judge will now rule on whether the men should be sent to face trial in the U.S., where they have been charged with conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, racketeering and money laundering. The case could have broader implications for Internet copyright rules.

Once one of the Internet's most popular websites, Megaupload was shut by U.S. authorities in 2012, but not before prosecutors said it raked in $175 million, mainly from people using the site to illegally download movies.

Dotcom argues many people used the site to legally store their digital files and he can't be held responsible for those who didn't.