The US Government Has Found A Sneaky Way To Punish Megaupload

File-sharing site Megaupload has tried to escape criminal prosecution in the United States by saying since the company doesn't have a mailing address in this country, it can't be prosecuted here.

But federal Judge Liam O'Grady ruled Friday that the government could circumvent that technicality by serving notice to infamous founder Kim Dotcom once he's extradited to America, Ars Technica reported Tuesday.

The feds can send notice to Dotcom's jail cell since he's essentially an "alter ego" for the company, the judge ruled.

The feds shut down Megaupload in January and charged Dotcom with piracy.

Back in July, Megaupload's lawyers argued that since the company is based in Hong Kong, only that country's laws apply, Ars Technica reported at the time.