What’s LimeWire?
The Peer-to-peer file-sharing program LimeWire allows users to download and upload MP3s and other files in different formats. Let’s know What happened to LimeWire?
Various devices were capable of downloading and running the software, including Windows, Mac OS, Solaris, and Linux. With Gnutella, you can seamlessly interface between different computers, and LimeWire was built on that. Then, users were able to download and upload files in MP3 (for music), AVI/MPEG (for video), and JPG (for images).
Users had to first download LimeWire from LimeWire’s website or another third-party website (such as CNET) before using the program. You will see the Installer Wizard as soon as you open the downloaded file on your computer. The users will be asked to select the local folders (on their computers) that LimeWire files should be stored in after completing the installation.
Last but not least, LimeWire will be allowed to bypass firewall software. The software allows users to simply search for the files they want to download onto their computers after opening it. A detailed discussion of LimeWire’s legal battle with the Recording Industry Association of America will be presented in this article. A prolonged legal dispute ultimately ended with LimeWire being shut down in October 2010.
History of LimeWire
The LimeWire software was released by LimeWire LLC on May 3rd, 2000, and is headquartered in New York City. Mark Gorton created the software, who is himself a finance and engineering professional. He went on to earn an engineering degree from Yale and Stanford, respectively, before joining a defense company.
As soon as he began attending Harvard Business School in 1991, he completed an MBA degree two years later. His subsequent five years were spent at Fortune 500 firms Credit Suisse and First Boston.
Initial releases of LimeWire went unnoticed by the public in May 2000. In the months before LimeWire’s launch, Gnutella (the protocol LimeWire was based upon) gained such popularity that its network became so overcrowded that download speeds became extremely slow.
In August 2007 LimeWire announced it planned to launch a digital music store ( one year after some news of the lawsuit broke. It would be a standalone website where customers would purchase music for a one-time fee.
A beta version of LimeWire’s music store was released in March 2008. Customers had the option of paying per track or subscribing to tracks monthly in the digital store. Only U.S.-based customers would be able to purchase tracks from the digital store. According to expectations, the major labels declined to participate.
LimeWire has released numerous updates throughout the decade since its release in 2000. A firewall-to-firewall sharing option was added to LimeWire 4.2, and LimeWire 5.0 added a new instant messaging feature for chatting and sharing files with Individuals or Groups.
A user of version 5.5.1 had to insert an activation key before using the pro version, preventing it from being downloaded illegally. Despite this security feature, people are still finding ways around it. Ironic, since Limewire does exactly what its name implies: offers content for free downloading. Is it different to steal or share?
What led to LimeWire’s shutdown?
LimeWire’s software enables users to exchange copied music without the consent of the label of the music, according to the RIAA, which represents Universal Music, Sony BMG, and Warner Music Group. For every song illegally traded over the network, the RIAA demanded $150,000.
It was about a few months later, though, when the real smackdown took place. LimeWire was found to have committed “substantial amounts of copyright infringement” by U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood in May 2010, almost three years after the RIAA initiated its initial lawsuit. Moreover, she pointed out that the company failed to take any measurable steps to prevent the sharing of copyrighted materials.
Among the labels’ requests to have all LimeWire and Groton’s assets frozen, a federal judge denied the request on July 3rd, 2010. To protect LimeWire assets from a potential settlement, the founder had put a substantial amount of the company’s assets into a family trust during 2005 and beyond.
LimeWire is said to have considered filtering out pirated content as a result of the ruling while trying to come up with a deal to legally distribute the major labels’ music. Still, there was no bulging of the labels.
On June 10, 2010, they filed a lawsuit to have the platform closed down. A further $1 billion was demanded by the record labels for all songs illegally shared on LimeWire.
Ultimately, Limewire decided on December 31st, 2010, to close its music store due to mounting legal pressure. The RIAA ultimately settled the case with LimeWire in May 2011 for a total of $105 million. There was more to the story than that for LimeWire. The RIAA won their lawsuit against LimeWire in July 2011, after that Merlin, a trade group representing 12,000 independent labels (including famous artists like Adele), sued the company in a similar lawsuit. The Hollywood studios Disney and Paramount, among others, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit again in February 2012.
In February 2013, Hollywood studios dropped their $2 million copyright lawsuit against LimeWire after LimeWire settled with Merlin for $15 million in March 2012.
It was about a few months later, though, when the real smackdown took place. LimeWire was found to have committed “substantial amounts of copyright infringement” by U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood in May 2010, almost three years after the RIAA initiated its initial lawsuit. Moreover, she pointed out that the company failed to take any measurable steps to prevent the sharing of copyrighted materials.
Among the labels’ requests to have all LimeWire and Groton’s assets frozen, a federal judge denied the request on July 3rd, 2010. To protect LimeWire assets from a potential settlement, the founder had put a substantial amount of the company’s assets into a family trust during 2005 and beyond.
Ultimately, Limewire decided on December 31st, 2010, to close its music store due to mounting legal pressure. The RIAA ultimately settled the case with LimeWire in May 2011 for a total of $105 million. There was more to the story than that for LimeWire. The RIAA won their lawsuit against LimeWire in July 2011, after that Merlin, a trade group representing 12,000 independent labels (including famous artists like Adele), sued the company in a similar lawsuit. The Hollywood studios Disney and Paramount, among others, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit again in February 2012.
In February 2013, Hollywood studios dropped their $2 million copyright lawsuit against LimeWire after LimeWire settled with Merlin for $15 million in March 2012.
The decision to reinvent Napster as a legal streaming service led many to believe that LimeWire was also capable of going on if it chose to. As far as we can tell, Gorton and LimeWire executives didn’t approach the major labels until after the first ruling in May 2010 over an alleged infringement suit.
FAQ’s
Question 1. What was LimeWire?
Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software LimeWire allows the exchange of content via the Internet. Limewire provides access to any file type, such as AVI/MPEG (video), MP3 (music), and JPG (image).
Question 2. LimeWire was shut down for what reason?
The federal court ruled LimeWire guilty of helping users commit copyright violations at “a massive scale.” LimeWire has now been permanently shut down.
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed a lawsuit against LimeWire LLC over four years ago, leading to the shutdown.
