LimeWire
Encyclopedia
LimeWire is a free
peer-to-peer file sharing
(P2P) client program that runs on Windows
, Mac OS X
, Linux
, and other operating systems supported by the Java software platform. LimeWire uses the gnutella
network as well as the BitTorrent protocol. A free software
version and a purchasable "enhanced" version are available. The software was developed by Lime Wire LLC, which was a subsidiary of Lime Group. BitTorrent support is provided by libtorrent
.
On October 26, 2010, US federal court judge Kimba Wood
issued an injunction forcing LimeWire to prevent "the searching, downloading, uploading, file trading and/or file distribution functionality, and/or all functionality" of its software in Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC
. A trial investigating the damages necessary to compensate the affected record labels is scheduled to begin in January 2011. As a result of the injunction, LimeWire 5.5.11 and newer have been disabled using a backdoor installed by the company. However, version 5.5.10 and all prior versions of LimeWire remain fully functional and cannot be disabled unless a user upgrades to one of the newer versions. The program has been "resurrected" by the creators of LimeWire Pirate Edition
.
, LimeWire is able to run on any computer with a Java Virtual Machine
installed. Installers were provided for Apple's Mac OS X
, Microsoft's Windows
, and Linux
. Support for Mac OS 9
and other previous versions was dropped with the release of LimeWire 4.0.10. From version 4.8 onwards, LimeWire works as a UPnP Internet Gateway Device
controller in that it can automatically set up packet-forwarding rules with UPnP-capable routers.
LimeWire offers the sharing of its library through the Digital Audio Access Protocol
(DAAP). As such when LimeWire is running and configured to allow it, any files shared will be detectable and downloaded on the local network by DAAP-enabled devices (e.g., Zune
, iTunes
). Beginning with LimeWire 4.13.9, connections can be encrypted with Transport Layer Security
(TLS). Following LimeWire 4.13.11, TLS became the default connection option.
Being free software
, LimeWire has spawned forks
, including LionShare
, an experimental software development project at Penn State University, and Acquisition
, a Mac OS X
-based gnutella client with a proprietary interface. Researchers at Cornell University
developed a reputation management add-in called Credence that allows users to distinguish between "genuine" and "suspect" files before downloading them. An October 12, 2005 report states that some of LimeWire's free and open source software contributors have forked the project and called it FrostWire
. The makers of the LimeWire software have now installed a security device that can track most viruses in files.
LimeWire was the first file sharing program to support firewall-to-firewall file transfers, a feature introduced in version 4.2, which was released in November 2004. LimeWire also now includes BitTorrent support, but is limited to 3 Torrent uploads and 3 Torrent downloads, which coexist with ordinary downloads. As of LimeWire 5.0, an instant messenger has been added which uses the XMPP Protocol, an open source communication protocol. Users can now chat and share files with individuals or a group of friends in their buddy list.
From version 5.5.1, LimeWire has added a key activation, which requires the user to enter the unique key before activation the "Pro" version of the software. This has stopped people from illegally downloading the "Pro" versions. However, there are still ways to bypass this security, for example, there are currently cracks on the internet, or people remain using LimeWire Pro 5.5.1 Beta which also includes AVG for LimeWire and is the first version to include AVG. The most recent stable version of LimeWire is 5.5.16.
Versions of LimeWire prior to 5.5.10 can still connect to the Gnutella network and users of these versions are still able to download files, even though a message is displayed concerning the injunction during the startup process of the software. LimeWire versions 5.5.11 and newer feature an auto-update feature that allowed Lime Wire LLC to disable newer versions of the LimeWire software. Older versions of LimeWire prior to version 5.5.11 however do not include the auto-update feature and are still fully functional. As a result, neither the RIAA nor Lime Wire LLC have the ability to disable older versions of LimeWire, unless the user chooses to upgrade to a newer version of LimeWire.
On November 10, 2010, a secret group of developers called the "Secret Dev Team" sought to keep the service running by releasing the "LimeWire Pirate Edition". It appeared on several torrent websites. The software is based on LimeWire 5.6 Beta, and is aimed to allow Windows versions to still work and remove the threat of spyware or adware. The exclusive features in LimeWire PRO were also unlocked, and all security features installed by Lime Wire LLC were removed.
s from LimeWire have appeared, with the goal of giving users more freedom, or objecting to decisions made by LimeWire LLC they disagreed with.
pressure and the threat of legal action, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.
. When eventually activated, the code could block its users from sharing licensed files. This code was recently changed when lawsuits had been filed against LimeWire for p2p downloading. It had blocked all their users and redirected them to FrostWire.
, spyware
, and backdoors, as well as all dependencies on LimeWire LLC servers.
In response to allegations that a current or former member of Lime Wire LLC staff wrote and released the software, the company has stated that: "[LimeWire is] not behind these efforts. LimeWire does not authorize them. LimeWire is complying with the Court’s October 26, 2010 injunction."
, after the website of LimeWire Pirate Edition was taken offline. Due to trademark concerns, the name of the application was changed to WireShare. The application supports Microsoft Windows
, Linux
, and Mac OS X
.
It is unclear how WireShare, and thus LimeWire Pirate Edition, differ from FrostWire, also with the purpose of removing malware and backdoors.
In LimeWire versions before 5.0, users could accidentally configure the software to allow access to any file on their computer, including documents with personal information. Recent versions of LimeWire do not allow unintentional sharing of documents or applications. In 2005, the US Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer warning regarding the dangers of using peer-to-peer file sharing
networks, stating that using such networks can lead to identity theft and lawsuits. On May 5, 2009, a P2P industry spokesman represented Lime Wire and others at a U.S. House of Representatives legislative hearing on H.R. 1319, "The Informed P2P User Act."
One investigation showed that of 123 randomly selected downloaded files, 37 contained malware – about 30%. In mid 2008, a Macintosh
trojan
exploiting a vulnerability involving Apple Remote Desktop
was distributed via LimeWire affecting users of Mac OS X
Tiger
and Leopard
. The ability to distribute such malware and viruses has also been reduced in versions of LimeWire 5.0 and greater, with the program defaulting to not share or search for executable files.
Prior to April 2004, the free version of LimeWire was distributed with a bundled program called LimeShop (a variant of TopMoxie), which was spyware
. Among other things, LimeShop monitored online purchases in order to redirect sales commissions to Lime Wire LLC. Uninstallation of LimeWire would not remove LimeShop. With the removal of all bundled software in LimeWire 3.9.4 (released on April 20, 2004), these objections were addressed. LimeWire currently has a facility that allows its server to contact a running LimeWire client and gather various information.
An identity theft
scheme involving LimeWire was discovered in Denver in 2006. On September 7, 2007, Gregory Thomas Kopiloff of Seattle was arrested in what the U.S. Justice Department described as its first case against someone accused of using file sharing computer programs to commit identity theft
. According to federal prosecutors, Kopiloff used LimeWire to search other people's computers for inadvertently shared financial information and then used it to obtain credit cards for an online shopping spree.
LimeWire automatically receives a cryptographically signed file, called simpp.xml, containing an IP block list. Blocking certain IPs has become commonplace and even considered essential in P2P filesharing.
, Lime Wire LLC was considering ceasing its distribution of LimeWire because the outcome of MGM v. Grokster
"handed a tool to judges that they can declare inducement whenever they want to."
On May 12, 2010, Judge Kimba Wood
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
ruled in Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC
that LimeWire and its creator, Mark Gorton
, had committed copyright infringement, engaged in unfair competition, and induced others to commit copyright infringement. On October 26, 2010, LimeWire was ordered to disable the "searching, downloading, uploading, file trading and/or file distribution functionality" after losing a court battle with the RIAA
over claims of copyright infringement. The RIAA also announced intentions to pursue legal action over the damages caused by the program in January to compensate the affected record labels. In retaliation, the RIAA's website was taken offline on October 29 via denial-of-service attack
s executed by members of Operation Payback
and Anonymous
.
In response to the ruling, a company spokesperson said that the company is not shutting down, but will be using its "best efforts" to cease distributing and supporting P2P software.
Recently, the RIAA announced their intention to sue LimeWire for $75 trillion in damages - a sum greater than the current GDP of the entire global economy. There are currently around 11,000 songs on LimeWire that have been tagged as copyright-infringed, and the RIAA estimates that each one has been downloaded thousands of times, the penalties accruing to the above sum.
A trial to decide on the eventual amount of damages owed by Limewire to thirteen record labels, including Warner and Sony Music, all of which are represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), started early in May and went on until on May 13, 2011, when Gorton agreed to pay the 13 record companies $105 million in an out-of-court settlement.
Mitch Bainwol, chairman of the RIAA, referred to the “resolution of the case [as] another milestone in the continuing evolution of online music to a legitimate marketplace that appropriately rewards creators.”
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
peer-to-peer file sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing
P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...
(P2P) client program that runs on Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, and other operating systems supported by the Java software platform. LimeWire uses the gnutella
Gnutella
Gnutella is a large peer-to-peer network which, at the time of its creation, was the first decentralized peer-to-peer network of its kind, leading to other, later networks adopting the model...
network as well as the BitTorrent protocol. A free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
version and a purchasable "enhanced" version are available. The software was developed by Lime Wire LLC, which was a subsidiary of Lime Group. BitTorrent support is provided by libtorrent
Libtorrent (Rasterbar)
libtorrent is an open source implementation of the BitTorrent protocol. It is written in and has its main library interface in C++. Its most notable features are support for Mainline DHT, IPv6 , HTTP seeds and µTorrent's peer exchange....
.
On October 26, 2010, US federal court judge Kimba Wood
Kimba Wood
Kimba Maureen Wood is a United States federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.-Early life and education:...
issued an injunction forcing LimeWire to prevent "the searching, downloading, uploading, file trading and/or file distribution functionality, and/or all functionality" of its software in Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC
Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC
Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC, 715 F. Supp. 2d 481 , is a United States district court case in which the Southern District of New York held that Lime Group LLC, the defendant, induced copyright infringement with its peer-to-peer file sharing software, LimeWire. The court issued a permanent...
. A trial investigating the damages necessary to compensate the affected record labels is scheduled to begin in January 2011. As a result of the injunction, LimeWire 5.5.11 and newer have been disabled using a backdoor installed by the company. However, version 5.5.10 and all prior versions of LimeWire remain fully functional and cannot be disabled unless a user upgrades to one of the newer versions. The program has been "resurrected" by the creators of LimeWire Pirate Edition
LimeWire Pirate Edition
LimeWire Pirate Edition is a resurrected version of the LimeWire software. LPE is the same as the LimeWire Pro software, but without the adware, advertising, and backdoors present in LimeWire. The Ask toolbar integration was also removed along with dependencies to LimeWire servers and remote...
.
Features
Written in the Java programming languageJava (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
, LimeWire is able to run on any computer with a Java Virtual Machine
Java Virtual Machine
A Java virtual machine is a virtual machine capable of executing Java bytecode. It is the code execution component of the Java software platform. Sun Microsystems stated that there are over 4.5 billion JVM-enabled devices.-Overview:...
installed. Installers were provided for Apple's Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Microsoft's Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. Support for Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
and other previous versions was dropped with the release of LimeWire 4.0.10. From version 4.8 onwards, LimeWire works as a UPnP Internet Gateway Device
Internet Gateway Device
Internet Gateway Device Standardized Device Control Protocol is supported by some NAT routers. It is a common method of automatically configuring port forwarding, but is not an Internet Engineering Task Force standard....
controller in that it can automatically set up packet-forwarding rules with UPnP-capable routers.
LimeWire offers the sharing of its library through the Digital Audio Access Protocol
Digital Audio Access Protocol
The Digital Audio Access Protocol is the proprietary protocol introduced by Apple in its iTunes software to share media across a local network....
(DAAP). As such when LimeWire is running and configured to allow it, any files shared will be detectable and downloaded on the local network by DAAP-enabled devices (e.g., Zune
Zune
Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...
, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
). Beginning with LimeWire 4.13.9, connections can be encrypted with Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer , are cryptographic protocols that provide communication security over the Internet...
(TLS). Following LimeWire 4.13.11, TLS became the default connection option.
Version history
Until October 2010, Lime Wire LLC, the New York City based developer of LimeWire, distributed two versions of the program: a basic free version, and an enhanced version, LimeWire PRO, sold for a fee of US$21.95 with 6 months of updates, or $34.95 with 1 year of updates. The company claimed the paid version provides faster downloads and 66% better search results. This is accomplished by facilitating direct connection with up to 10 hosts of an identical searched file at any one time, whereas the free version is limited to a maximum of 8 hosts.Being free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, LimeWire has spawned forks
Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
, including LionShare
LionShare
LionShare is a software project designed to facilitate file sharing among educational institutions around the world. It is based on the free and open-source LimeWire file sharing program written in Java....
, an experimental software development project at Penn State University, and Acquisition
Acquisition (software)
Acquisition is a Gnutella-based peer-to-peer client that is also capable of supporting BitTorrent designed specifically for Mac OS X. It is based on LimeWire and is a shareware product, priced from $25...
, a Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
-based gnutella client with a proprietary interface. Researchers at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
developed a reputation management add-in called Credence that allows users to distinguish between "genuine" and "suspect" files before downloading them. An October 12, 2005 report states that some of LimeWire's free and open source software contributors have forked the project and called it FrostWire
FrostWire
FrostWire is a free, open source BitTorrent client first released in September 2004, as a fork of LimeWire. It was initially very similar to LimeWire in appearance and functionality, but over time developers added more features, including BitTorrent support. In version 5, Gnutella support was...
. The makers of the LimeWire software have now installed a security device that can track most viruses in files.
LimeWire was the first file sharing program to support firewall-to-firewall file transfers, a feature introduced in version 4.2, which was released in November 2004. LimeWire also now includes BitTorrent support, but is limited to 3 Torrent uploads and 3 Torrent downloads, which coexist with ordinary downloads. As of LimeWire 5.0, an instant messenger has been added which uses the XMPP Protocol, an open source communication protocol. Users can now chat and share files with individuals or a group of friends in their buddy list.
From version 5.5.1, LimeWire has added a key activation, which requires the user to enter the unique key before activation the "Pro" version of the software. This has stopped people from illegally downloading the "Pro" versions. However, there are still ways to bypass this security, for example, there are currently cracks on the internet, or people remain using LimeWire Pro 5.5.1 Beta which also includes AVG for LimeWire and is the first version to include AVG. The most recent stable version of LimeWire is 5.5.16.
Versions of LimeWire prior to 5.5.10 can still connect to the Gnutella network and users of these versions are still able to download files, even though a message is displayed concerning the injunction during the startup process of the software. LimeWire versions 5.5.11 and newer feature an auto-update feature that allowed Lime Wire LLC to disable newer versions of the LimeWire software. Older versions of LimeWire prior to version 5.5.11 however do not include the auto-update feature and are still fully functional. As a result, neither the RIAA nor Lime Wire LLC have the ability to disable older versions of LimeWire, unless the user chooses to upgrade to a newer version of LimeWire.
On November 10, 2010, a secret group of developers called the "Secret Dev Team" sought to keep the service running by releasing the "LimeWire Pirate Edition". It appeared on several torrent websites. The software is based on LimeWire 5.6 Beta, and is aimed to allow Windows versions to still work and remove the threat of spyware or adware. The exclusive features in LimeWire PRO were also unlocked, and all security features installed by Lime Wire LLC were removed.
Forks and alternatives
A number of forkFork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
s from LimeWire have appeared, with the goal of giving users more freedom, or objecting to decisions made by LimeWire LLC they disagreed with.
FrostWire
FrostWire was started in September 2004 by members of the LimeWire open source community, after LimeWire's distributor considered adding "blocking" code, in response to RIAARecording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
pressure and the threat of legal action, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.
MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.
MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. 545 U.S. 913 is a United States Supreme Court decision in which the Court unanimously held that defendant P2P file sharing companies Grokster and Streamcast could be sued for inducing copyright infringement for acts taken in the course of marketing file sharing...
. When eventually activated, the code could block its users from sharing licensed files. This code was recently changed when lawsuits had been filed against LimeWire for p2p downloading. It had blocked all their users and redirected them to FrostWire.
LimeWire Pirate Edition
In November 2010, as a response to the legal challenges regarding LimeWire, an anonymous individual by the handle of Meta Pirate released a modified version of LimeWire Pro, which was entitled LimeWire Pirate Edition. It came without the Ask.com toolbar, advertisingAdware
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. These advertisements can be in the form of a pop-up. They may also be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during...
, spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
, and backdoors, as well as all dependencies on LimeWire LLC servers.
In response to allegations that a current or former member of Lime Wire LLC staff wrote and released the software, the company has stated that: "[LimeWire is] not behind these efforts. LimeWire does not authorize them. LimeWire is complying with the Court’s October 26, 2010 injunction."
WireShare
On December 11, 2010, the source to LimeWire Pirate Edition was placed on the popular source code hosting Web site, SourceForgeSourceForge
SourceForge Enterprise Edition is a collaborative revision control and software development management system. It provides a front-end to a range of software development lifecycle services and integrates with a number of free software / open source software applications .While originally itself...
, after the website of LimeWire Pirate Edition was taken offline. Due to trademark concerns, the name of the application was changed to WireShare. The application supports Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
.
It is unclear how WireShare, and thus LimeWire Pirate Edition, differ from FrostWire, also with the purpose of removing malware and backdoors.
Criticism
On February 15, 2010, LimeWire reversed its previous anti-bundling stance and announced the inclusion of an Ask.com-powered browser toolbar which must be explicitly opted-out to prevent installation. The toolbar sends web and bittorrent searches to Ask.com, and LimeWire searches to an instance of LimeWire on the user's machine.In LimeWire versions before 5.0, users could accidentally configure the software to allow access to any file on their computer, including documents with personal information. Recent versions of LimeWire do not allow unintentional sharing of documents or applications. In 2005, the US Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer warning regarding the dangers of using peer-to-peer file sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing
P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...
networks, stating that using such networks can lead to identity theft and lawsuits. On May 5, 2009, a P2P industry spokesman represented Lime Wire and others at a U.S. House of Representatives legislative hearing on H.R. 1319, "The Informed P2P User Act."
One investigation showed that of 123 randomly selected downloaded files, 37 contained malware – about 30%. In mid 2008, a Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
trojan
Trojan horse (computing)
A Trojan horse, or Trojan, is software that appears to perform a desirable function for the user prior to run or install, but steals information or harms the system. The term is derived from the Trojan Horse story in Greek mythology.-Malware:A destructive program that masquerades as a benign...
exploiting a vulnerability involving Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop is a Macintosh application produced by Apple Inc., first released on March 14, 2002, that replaced a similar product called Apple Network Assistant...
was distributed via LimeWire affecting users of Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
Tiger
Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
and Leopard
Mac OS X v10.5
Mac OS X Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on 26 October 2007 as the successor of Tiger , and is available in two variants: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a...
. The ability to distribute such malware and viruses has also been reduced in versions of LimeWire 5.0 and greater, with the program defaulting to not share or search for executable files.
Prior to April 2004, the free version of LimeWire was distributed with a bundled program called LimeShop (a variant of TopMoxie), which was spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
. Among other things, LimeShop monitored online purchases in order to redirect sales commissions to Lime Wire LLC. Uninstallation of LimeWire would not remove LimeShop. With the removal of all bundled software in LimeWire 3.9.4 (released on April 20, 2004), these objections were addressed. LimeWire currently has a facility that allows its server to contact a running LimeWire client and gather various information.
An identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
scheme involving LimeWire was discovered in Denver in 2006. On September 7, 2007, Gregory Thomas Kopiloff of Seattle was arrested in what the U.S. Justice Department described as its first case against someone accused of using file sharing computer programs to commit identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
. According to federal prosecutors, Kopiloff used LimeWire to search other people's computers for inadvertently shared financial information and then used it to obtain credit cards for an online shopping spree.
LimeWire automatically receives a cryptographically signed file, called simpp.xml, containing an IP block list. Blocking certain IPs has become commonplace and even considered essential in P2P filesharing.
Injunction
According to a June 2005 report in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Lime Wire LLC was considering ceasing its distribution of LimeWire because the outcome of MGM v. Grokster
MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.
MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. 545 U.S. 913 is a United States Supreme Court decision in which the Court unanimously held that defendant P2P file sharing companies Grokster and Streamcast could be sued for inducing copyright infringement for acts taken in the course of marketing file sharing...
"handed a tool to judges that they can declare inducement whenever they want to."
On May 12, 2010, Judge Kimba Wood
Kimba Wood
Kimba Maureen Wood is a United States federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.-Early life and education:...
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
ruled in Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC
Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC
Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC, 715 F. Supp. 2d 481 , is a United States district court case in which the Southern District of New York held that Lime Group LLC, the defendant, induced copyright infringement with its peer-to-peer file sharing software, LimeWire. The court issued a permanent...
that LimeWire and its creator, Mark Gorton
Mark Gorton
Mark Howard Gorton is the creator of LimeWire, a peer-to-peer file sharing client for the Java Platform, and chief executive of the Lime Group...
, had committed copyright infringement, engaged in unfair competition, and induced others to commit copyright infringement. On October 26, 2010, LimeWire was ordered to disable the "searching, downloading, uploading, file trading and/or file distribution functionality" after losing a court battle with the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
over claims of copyright infringement. The RIAA also announced intentions to pursue legal action over the damages caused by the program in January to compensate the affected record labels. In retaliation, the RIAA's website was taken offline on October 29 via denial-of-service attack
Denial-of-service attack
A denial-of-service attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users...
s executed by members of Operation Payback
Operation Payback
Operation Payback is a coordinated, decentralized group of attacks on opponents of Internet piracy by Internet activists using the "Anonymous" moniker - a group sometimes affiliated with the website 4chan. Operation Payback started as retaliation to distributed denial of service attacks on torrent...
and Anonymous
Anonymous (group)
Anonymous is an international hacking group, spread through the Internet, initiating active civil disobedience, while attempting to maintain anonymity. Originating in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan, the term refers to the concept of many online community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic,...
.
In response to the ruling, a company spokesperson said that the company is not shutting down, but will be using its "best efforts" to cease distributing and supporting P2P software.
Recently, the RIAA announced their intention to sue LimeWire for $75 trillion in damages - a sum greater than the current GDP of the entire global economy. There are currently around 11,000 songs on LimeWire that have been tagged as copyright-infringed, and the RIAA estimates that each one has been downloaded thousands of times, the penalties accruing to the above sum.
A trial to decide on the eventual amount of damages owed by Limewire to thirteen record labels, including Warner and Sony Music, all of which are represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), started early in May and went on until on May 13, 2011, when Gorton agreed to pay the 13 record companies $105 million in an out-of-court settlement.
Mitch Bainwol, chairman of the RIAA, referred to the “resolution of the case [as] another milestone in the continuing evolution of online music to a legitimate marketplace that appropriately rewards creators.”
See also
- Comparison of file sharing applicationsComparison of file sharing applicationsFile sharing is a method of distributing electronically stored information such as computer programs and digital media. Below is a list of file sharing applications....
- Open Music ModelOpen Music ModelThe Open Music Model is an economic and technological framework for the recording industry based on research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
Similar court rulings
- AllOfMP3
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