Dotcom at an extradition hearing in Auckland in 2015. (credit: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

A New Zealand appeals court has dealt another blow to file sharing mogul Kim Dotcom in his years-long fight against extradition to the United States on copyright charges. The court agreed with a lower court judge that Dotcom was eligible for extradition under New Zealand law, taking Dotcom a step closer to facing justice in the United States.

“We are disappointed with today’s Judgment by the New Zealand Court of Appeal,” Dotcom’s US lawyer, Ira Rothken, said in an emailed statement. “We look forward to seeking review with the New Zealand Supreme Court. We think that ultimately Kim Dotcom will prevail.”

The case dates back to 2012, when authorities staged a spectacular raid on Dotcom’s rented mansion in the Auckland area. Dotcom had built a massively successful company called Megaupload that had become a popular platform for illicit sharing of copyrighted movies.