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LimeWire closes after four-year legal battle with Recording Industry Association of America

By Ryan Taljonick on November 3, 2010 3:45 am in Technology / 28 comments

 

The peer-to-peer file-sharing program LimeWire has been shut down following a permanent injunction by a federal court in New York.

According to PCWorld, the injunction was issued on Oct. 26, ending a four-year legal battle between LimeWire, LLC and the Recording Industry Association of America.

The suit, which was filed by the RIAA on behalf of eight music publishers including Interscope Records, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Bros. Records stated LimeWire “intentionally encouraged direct infringement” by its users and allowed for “infringement on a massive scale.”

A Central Michigan University student who preferred not to be named said he used LimeWire for several years and is disappointed the service has been shut down.

“I would use it quite often,” the Sterling Heights senior said. “I used LimeWire because it gave me free downloadable songs fairly quick with pretty much every song I was looking for. I liked it mainly because it was free and easy to use.”

The student said he knew his actions were illegal, but he was not worried about getting caught.

A PCWorld report said the plaintiffs claimed more than 93 percent of LimeWire’s software traffic was made up of infringing content. The RIAA has filed two separate motions, according to the article: one to permanently shut down the company and another to freeze the company’s assets.

LimeWire stopped distributing its software on the day of the injunction and a legal notice was posted on the company’s website stating downloading or sharing copyrighted content through the service is illegal.

Damages will be assessed when the case resumes in January 2011. According to PCWorld, the minimum for music copyright infringement is $150,000 per infringement and damages could exceed $1 billion.

“I took off the option to share the music, I heard when you share the music, that is how you got caught,” the student said. “I know a lot of people that use places like that for music and also videos — it is cheaper to download than pay.”

Another CMU student said she also used LimeWire for several years.

“I kind of used it in high school a lot when it first came out,” the Benton Harbor senior said. “I didn’t really know the dangers of it and how serious it was. I was the go-to person to get music, not a lot of people had LimeWire.”

When she came to CMU and moved into the dorms, she could not access the Internet while the program was installed on her computer, so she deleted it. Later, when she moved into an apartment, she reinstalled it.

She liked that she could find songs on LimeWire that were not available on CDs or in stores.

She said she used the program regularly.

“I knew it was illegal to a certain extent,” she said. “I was basically under the impression that I could use it as long as I didn’t make CDs and sell them. Once I found out it was really illegal, I basically didn’t download anything I didn’t already have.”

 

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  • Francesleah

    this is so unfortunate bc i looooove(d) limewire. i used it pretty much every week!! everytime i heard a song or heard about a song >limewire! it was sooo convenient and practical! no one wants to pay for over-priced music. limewire also provided music you wouldnt be able to find ANYWHERE!!!

    RIP limewire.com You Will Be Missed =)

  • Cody

    If you even used LimeWire, congrats on putting money into my pocket as the service tech that comes to clear our your porn.

  • John

    It really is sad another case of the rich crying broke and the people are being hearded off like cattle in the road. Whether or not it is allowed or not is the focus, but music should be free it is art and also public record. Once something is sold the first time why should you make money off of it anymore.

  • Ronald Burgen

    music is the soundtrack to my life……. now what!!!!!!

  • Perryswimmteam

    I never had any problem with my iMac while using Limewire for over 5 years – don't be so smug – I never had to use a service tech to fix any of my computers! You can stick your “I'm so important” attitude where the sun doesn't shine!

  • sp

    “Blahblah Richandfamous here wanted to put endangered beluga whales in his gold-plated swimming pool. Now, because of sites like LimeWire and media pirates like you, he's going to have to wait a few weeks.”

    Or however it goes.

  • Zeusavent

    I too liked the site,it's a shame that there are too many greedy people in the world.Music was at my fingertips and movies were ok but they couldnt compare to one bought ,but it still gave you an insight to what we all crave to have something free or discounted .

  • JMM

    where do we get music now???

  • Xinbone

    buy it then you prick!

  • Xinbone

    thank God there shutting the crap down maybe people will just have to support the many years put in to this feild by hundreds of thousands of people……….!!!!!!! NO FREE MUSIC

  • Mstalove

    i'm really sad to see it go, however, i think they should charge a monthly fee for the service even the basic, hell i'd pay for it. the site introduce me to plenty of new artist i would have never heard of. i in turn went out and purchased their music. limewire turned me on to lots of songs and artist i'd forgotten about. i then would go buy their music. i think for the less known artist it evens the playing field some. people get to hear artist they otherwise would never hear of. i understand record company and artist are entittled to money, but isnt there already suits file against record companies for not paying the artists? i get it, everybody wants to get paid, but let's not forgot or get it twisted as kids say, without fans, or people listening to your music, who are you really? we make you the stars you are, if we are downloading your music that means we like you, we want a piece of you for all time. 20 years from now you'll be begging us to download your music, hoping someone remembers you!

  • Johnsmith

    You can always ask for a loan of cds. up to you if you want to copy them!!!

  • anngee3567

    just another example of how greedy the music industry can be, boohoo so they lost a couple of bucks on somebody downloading their song. they have more money than god, but they always want more. and never mind that we as the fans are the ones that put them where they are, rich people suck.

  • Drinking Orchata

    I never used it but when I was in New York met some cool friends who originated from LA and my fondest memory was watching the dj jam with limewire. This was over 5 years ago, I will miss that fond memory. I was so used to the 12 inch records that I kind of thought it cheated the system of djing, but we are a new world now.

    Eric, I am still looking for the album Ronald Ronny Reagan I forgot who the singer was.

    lol. I hope you guys are doing well. this is the good girl…lol met at central park on a late evening and had the time of my life. Thanks Eric for showing us the town. Loved that cool lounge with the hindu bartender. Thanks limewire for bringing friends and Depeche Mode and REM Thanks everyone for reading my dragged out post.

  • Drinking Orchata

    Hey Xinbone…chill…I am also, a supporter of the music as I am also in the business, however, remember who placed the artist on the charts. These exact people, that is why, I will always remember limewire as a great marketing tool for the artist not to mention free. I think the big dogs have enough mula to hold them over for a few more decades. I guess at the end everyone get something out of it. I am sure you must of limewired yourself, at least once. I was to busy too do it. However, my 73 year old father who paid his dues as a hall of famer loved his big bang music. He was excited to find what he was lseaching for at the tip of his fingers instead, of rolling around in his wheel chair at record stores. He also donated money to music foundation earlier in his career. So easy…

  • DJ SMoove

    It will be missed, it is very hard to find true R&B such as the 60's and 70's. Farewell Limewire and good luck with the bloodsucking record industry…………………….

  • Rainbow_dawn1990

    What a shame too see it go I loved limewire as a kid I wasn't allowed to have mp3 players and Ipods CD players anything like that my parents were strict So when I was old enough to be on my own I bought an I-pod and now I can't put music on it cause I can't afford it…it took me forever too save up for that I-pod almost a year its very sad too see it go!

  • Rainbow_dawn1990

    Honestly you had too cuss him that was childish and uncalled for!

  • lawlz

    yeah because the artists makes all their money from them….oh wait, they don't. They make their money from tours.
    Who makes the money from the cds? The company….who also juices their artists on touring costs.
    But you didn't know that because you're too busy in your ivory tower of stupidity

  • lawlz

    Congrats on being a fail tech….the porn came from them dl'ing porn.

    Here's a pro tip for your….don't stick forks in light sockets. I feel you're gonna need that.

  • Larrcom10

    at the store for $15 a song what a dealllllllllllllllll

  • Larrcom10

    They will be back. Music is like you owning an Ipod and someone stealing it. Apple will not replace it, it was your responsibility to keep it safe. Music is the same way, It is there responsibilty to keep it safe. They can put all kinds of digital security on the tracks. I am a contractor and I have to lock up my tools why ??? because someone will steal them for sure and it is the same anyway you peeeps look at it……………

  • Matchoo_d

    If any of this “new found money” was actually going to the artist, i would be happy. BUT, the only ones lining their pockets are the record companys. Technically, all limewire was, was free advertising. I go to concerts to support the bands!!!!!!

  • JP

    Piracy is not a moral issue. It's completely arbitrary what types of creative ideas get financially compensated or not. In fact, I'm no longer making any jokes at a dinner party until there is a mechanism in place to give me royalties from anyone caught laughing at one of my jokes. The record industry ripped us off for decades. Now they can screw off. I will never ever buy a recording again -no matter how much I like it.

  • Jetspa

    SO WHEN DO THEY GO AFTER THE RADIO IN MY CAR OR TV FOR THE BUCKS

  • BadSanta

    you could use some 4:20 time i believe

  • Bart Simpson

    Why is The United States the only country has a permant copy write law. There is alot of countries that only have copy write laws for a few years. If i bought an Cd of Modonna Like a Virgin back in 1988 and I can't find that disk now, I cannot get a copy from some else. Back in the 80' and 90's people would recored the songs from the radio station, on a tape. So all Americans from 1950 to 2010 would be gulity of this law. I think Copy write laws should only last five years, like the patens on drugs. then a generic can come out. Call or write you congress people and Senators to change this stupid law. All we are doing is helping some singer to buy a bigger house or buy more drugs and hookers.

  • Sa5m_rox

    Come on limewire was awesome! Suck it up, I'm not paying a buck per song on iTunes! Just fix it, screw the legal crap!