LimeWire loses copyright case

[Diamondjimi]

LimeWire loses copyright case
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Associated Press

File-sharing software company LimeWire has lost a long-running court battle with the major U.S. recording companies.

A judge with the U.S. District Court in New York ruled this week that the company and its chairman, Mark Gorton, were liable for inducing copyright infringement.

The decision in the case, which began in 2006, doesn't mean the website through which the company distributes its software will shut down right away. The record labels and LimeWire are to meet with Judge Kimba Wood on June 1 to determine the next steps, such as a possible deal to work together and a potential award for damages.

Recording Industry Association of America Chairman Mitch Bainwol said in a statement Wednesday that the ruling was "an extraordinary victory" against one of the largest remaining file-sharing services in the United States.

The RIAA said more than 200 million copies of LimeWire's file-sharing software have been downloaded so far, including 340,000 in the last week alone.

The ruling could pave the way for a deal similar to the one reached by Napster, which was sued out of existence in 2000 but was reborn and is now under the ownership of Best Buy Inc., with licensing deals with all the major recording companies.

"This isn't about getting something shut down; it's about getting something licensed and legal," said Steve Marks, general counsel for the RIAA.

LimeWire CEO George Searle said in a statement that while it "strongly opposes" the court's decision, the company held out hope for a deal.

The company sells an "Extended Pro" version of its free software for $34.95 a year, leaving open the possibility that a new business model could emerge in co-operation with the music industry.

"LimeWire remains committed to developing innovative products and services for the end-user and to working with the entire music industry, including the major labels, to achieve this mission," Searle said.
© The Canadian Press, 2010

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2...#ixzz0nqny9MZ7


Linkage...

[Diamondjimi]

Fuckin A. Music shouldn't be "free". Artists depend on revenue to put food on the table. Bootlegs?Well, they're not official releases. I don't have an issue trading boots.
I'd be a hypocrite if I said I've never downloaded licensed recordings. However many of which were things I've bought on vinyl or cassette and wanted a digital copy. Or if I've grabbed something new and I like it ,I go out and buy the disc. The most recent being the latest Slayer and Alice in Chains...

[Blaze]

[FORD]

As much as I despise the RIAA, I wouldn't shed any tears if Limewire went down. Using that program is the cyber equivalent of fucking a $2 whore without a condom.

[Diamondjimi]

As much as I despise the RIAA, I wouldn't shed any tears if Limewire went down. Using that program is the cyber equivalent of fucking a $2 whore without a condom.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

That P2P filthy minge has more viruses than Lohan, Hilton and Winehouse combined!

[kwame k]

Hate that fucking program and anyone who uses it is an idiot!

Fuck them, Karma's a bitch you hacks.

As far as free music and downloading goes.....yeah, I've done it but like most people, if I like something after downloading it I usually buy it........record companies don't want you to know that factoid....they have already shown downloading music can be beneficial but if the record industry can't control all of it, it's going to try and spin it as all downloading is bad and should be stopped, which is utter bullshit......The Grateful Dead had zero problems with people sharing their music and considering they sold next to nothing but were still an arena act says volumes for people sharing music.

[Blackflag]

Fuck the media companies. Making money charging for records/songs is a scam who's time is long overdue.

[Unchainme]

doesn't matter at this point.

Pandora's box has been opened ever since Napster had been in operation, you close one of these p2p sites down and 5 more pop up in their all place all better than their predecesser. I do agree with the limewire analogy of porking a 2 dollar whore, but again, I don't think the RIAA understands yet that is indeed a dying brand. I mean, hell, who even buys CD's anymore? I even help my dad burn stuff he likes.

[Sensible Shoes]

While I don't buy CD's anymore, I have not gotten so far as to buy music on line. Oh well, there's probably a tutorial for it on Itunes. But then, there's so little music I want that I don't already have.

[FORD]

And on a related note.....

Is it just my imagination, or are torrent sites horribly slow this week?

Probably those fascist fucks at $camCa$t breaking the law again, and restricting bandwith, like they were ordered NOT to do.