LimeWire Ordered To Shut Down Forever

After a four-year legal fight with US record labels, LimeWire loses! Starting in 2007, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) began a lawsuit against LimeWire filesharing service, saying that by facilitating the illegal trade of music, movies, and other media, it infringed the copyright of its clients. They've won, and now the LimeWire site has been forced offline by a US court. ...But there's more.

Although the site is no more (the image you see above is what currently resides on the front of the LimeWire homepage), trading continues by parent company Lime Wire, whose founder Mark Gorton (former Wall Street trader) says that the company would work with the music industry to "move forward." Of course, his mind might change once the amount of damages the company must pay is decided. The amount LimeWire owes record companies in America will be decided in January.

A statement by the RIAA read thusly:

"For the better part of the last decade, LimeWire and Gorton have violated the law. ... The court has now signed an injunction that will start to unwind the massive piracy machine that LimeWire and Gorton used to enrich themselves immensely. ... In January, the court will conduct a trial to determine the appropriate level of damages necessary to compensate the record companies for the billions and billions of illegal downloads that occurred through the LimeWire system."

Chief executive of Lime Wire George Searle said the group was "disappointed" by the ruling, but remained "deeply committed to working with the music industry and making the act of loving music more fulfilling for everyone." Perhaps they'll go the way of Napster? When's the last time you heard from them? It seems like it'd be difficult to build a company back up after having the bottom ripped out like this. I wish them good luck.

[Via Telegraph UK]