Kim Dotcom, the founder of defunct Megaupload.com, has launched a new website called “Mega.” The file-sharing site drew half a million users within its first 14 hours of operation. Dotcom, who has been battling prosecutors since Megaupload’s assets were seized, claims the new site is legal and compliant with copyright law. However, U.S. prosecutors declined to comment.

Dotcom launched Mega on the anniversary of his arrest related to Megaupload. “The site Dotcom started in 2005 was one of the most popular sites on the Web until U.S. prosecutors shut it down and accused him and several company officials of facilitating millions of illegal downloads,” reports Canada’s Financial Post.

Mega offers 50 gigabytes of free storage and a drag-and-drop upload tool. Dotcom has added a new encryption feature, which he says will make the difference between the copyright infringement of Megaupload and the law abiding Mega.

“The decryption keys for uploaded files are held by the users, not Mega, which means the company can’t see what’s in the files being shared. Dotcom argues that Mega — which bills itself as ‘the privacy company’ — therefore can’t be held liable for content it cannot see,” explains the article.

Dotcom argues that he should not be responsible for what people send illegally. He likens shutting down a website for sending illegal content to shutting down the post office because someone sent a package with illegal contents.

“We are still reviewing how this new project will operate, but we do know that Kim Dotcom has built his career and his fortune on stealing creative works,” the MPAA said in a statement. “We’ll reserve final judgment until we have a chance to take a closer look, but given Kim Dotcom’s history of damaging the consumer experience by pushing stolen, illegitimate content into the marketplace, count us as skeptical.”