Indicted Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom launched a new file-sharing website on Sunday, which is complied with the law and warned that attempts to take it down would be futile. Dotcom unveiled the Mega.co.nz on Sunday even as he and three colleagues await extradition from New Zealand to the United States. Megaupload, which Dotcom started in 2005, was one of the most popular sites on the Web until U.S. prosecutors shut it down, accusing Dotcom and several company officials of facilitating millions of illegal downloads.

Dotcom said half a million users registered for Mega in its first 14 hours.

U.S. authorities are trying to extradite Dotcom from New Zealand, where he is free on bail. Prosecutors say Dotcom made tens of millions of dollars while filmmakers and songwriters lost around $500 million in copyright revenue.

Dotcom argues that he can't be held responsible for copyright infringement committed by others, and insists Megaupload complied with copyrights by removing links to pirated material when asked.

Mega allows users to store and share large files. It offers 50 gigabytes of free storage and features a drag-and-drop upload tool.

Compared to Google's Drive and Dropbox, Mega has an encryption and decryption feature for data transfers that Dotcom says will protect him from the legal drama that has entangled Megaupload and threatened to put him behind bars. The new site's servers are located in New Zealand and overseas.

The decryption keys for uploaded files are held by the users, which means the company can't see what's in the files being shared.