Editing LimeWire (section)

{{Short description|Peer-to-peer file sharing application}}
{{Distinguish|Livewire (disambiguation){{!}}LiveWire|Lifewire}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox software
| name = LimeWire
| logo = LimeWire.png
| logo size = 64px
| screenshot = Limewire2008.PNG
| screenshot size = 300px
| caption = LimeWire 4.18.3 on Windows Vista
| developer = Lime Wire LLC
| released = {{Start date and age|2000|5|3}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q725906|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q725906|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q725906|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q725906|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}}}
| discontinued = yes
| programming language = [[Java (programming language)|Java]]
| operating system =  [[Windows]], [[macOS]], [[Linux]], [[Oracle Solaris]]<ref name="o1" />
| platform = [[Java SE]]
| genre = [[Peer-to-peer file sharing]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
}}

'''LimeWire''' was a [[free software|free]] [[peer-to-peer file sharing]] client for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], [[Linux]], and [[Oracle Solaris|Solaris]].<ref name="o1">{{cite web |url=http://www.limewire.com/download/releases |title=Downloads}}</ref> Created by [[Mark Gorton]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Plambeck |first=Joseph |date=May 23, 2010 |title=Idea Man of LimeWire at a Crossroads |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/business/media/24limewire.html |access-date=October 7, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What was Limewire? Here's its fascinating story |url=https://slidebean.com/story/what-was-limewire-slidebean,%20https://slidebean.com/story/what-was-limewire-slidebean |access-date=October 7, 2022 |website=slidebean.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Hugh |title=The Piracy Sites That Nearly Destroyed The Music Industry: What Happened To Limewire |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/03/21/what-happened-to-the-piracy-sites-that-nearly-destroyed-the-music-industry-limewire/ |access-date=October 7, 2022 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> in 2000, it was most prominently a tool used for the download and distribution of [[Online piracy|pirated materials]], particularly [[Music piracy|pirated music.]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandoval |first=Greg |title=Study: LimeWire demise slows music piracy |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/study-limewire-demise-slows-music-piracy/ |access-date=October 7, 2022 |newspaper=CNET |language=en}}</ref> In 2007, LimeWire was estimated to be installed on over one-third of all computers globally.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zahn |first=Jennifer |title=The life and death of LimeWire |url=https://marquettewire.org/3777966/tribune/marquee/the-life-and-death-of-limewire-mr1-se2-je3/ |access-date=October 8, 2022 |website=Marquette Wire}}</ref>

Both a [[freeware|zero-cost]] version and a purchasable "enhanced" version called LimeWire Pro were available; however, LimeWire Pro could be acquired for free through the standard LimeWire software, where users distributed it without authorization. LimeWire uses the [[gnutella]] network as well as the [[BitTorrent (protocol)|BitTorrent protocol]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Features |url=http://www.limewire.com/features}}</ref>

On October 26, 2010, U.S. federal court judge [[Kimba Wood]] issued an injunction ordering Lime Wire LLC 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]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/oct/27/limewire-shut-down |location=London |work=The Guardian |first=Josh |last=Halliday |title=LimeWire shut down by federal court |date=October 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gonsalves |first=Antone |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228000125&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News |title=LimeWire Ordered To Shut Down – File Sharing Sites |magazine=InformationWeek |date=October 27, 2010 |access-date=January 12, 2011}}</ref> A trial investigating the damages necessary to compensate the affected record labels was scheduled to begin in January 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bangeman |first=Eric |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/10/sour-ruling-for-limewire-as-court-says-to-turn-off-p2p-functionality.ars |title=Sour ruling for LimeWire as court says to turn off P2P functionality |publisher=Arstechnica.com |date=October 26, 2010 |access-date=January 12, 2011}}</ref> As a result of the injunction, the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] initially suggested that LimeWire was responsible for $72 trillion in damages, before eventually settling for $105 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The RIAA Claimed LimeWire Owed Them 72 TRILLION Dollars |website=[[Business Insider]] |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/riaa-claims-limewire-owes-trillions-2012-5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630040723/https://www.businessinsider.com/riaa-claims-limewire-owes-trillions-2012-5 |archive-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lime Wire settles with RIAA for $105 million |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/lime-wire-settles-with-riaa-for-105-million/}}</ref> Thereafter, the company stopped distributing the LimeWire software, and versions 5.5.11 and newer have been disabled using a [[Backdoor (computing)|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.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371670,00.asp |title='Anonymous' Plans DDoS Attack on RIAA on Friday |work=[[PC Magazine]] |last=Hachman |first=Mark |date=October 28, 2010 |access-date=October 29, 2010}}</ref><ref name="pcmag2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371462,00.asp |title=Lime Wire Turns Off Limewire P2P Service |work=[[PC Magazine]] |last=Hachman |first=Mark |date=October 26, 2010 |access-date=October 29, 2010}}</ref>