LimeWire

A federal judge has rejected a request by the music industry to freeze assets belonging to Lime Wire and founder Mark Gorton.

In March, U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood ruled that Lime Wire, parent company Lime Group, and founder Mark Gorton are liable for copyright infringement by enabling and "inducing" users of the file-sharing software LimeWire to pirate music.

The Recording Industry Association of America, which filed a copyright complaint against Gorton and Lime Wire in 2007, wanted to make sure that Gorton or his companies don't do anything with their money before the court … Read more

Lime Wire founder Mark Gorton during the past decade made millions of dollars helping people share billions of pirated songs. Now, the big record labels claim in legal filings that Gorton has maneuvered to prevent the court from seizing his gains.

In court papers last week, the Recording Industry Association of America once again asked the court to freeze Lime Wire's and Gorton's assets. The trade group for the four largest record companies alleged in a copyright complaint filed in 2006 that Gorton had for five years placed his assets in a trust that he, his wife, and … Read more

While YouTube managers do victory dances following their massive courtroom win in the copyright case brought against the video service by Viacom, the triumph appears to have done little to buoy file-sharing service Lime Wire.

Lime Wire, the Web's largest and most popular file-sharing service, has fended off allegations that it violated the copyrights of the four largest recording companies for four years, but U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood last month granted summary judgment in favor of the Recording Industry Association of America. The court found Lime Wire and founder Mark Gorton liable for copyright infringement and that … Read more

Fred von Lohmann, likely the technology's sector most recognized legal advocate, has called it quits as senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

One of Grokster's lead attorneys in the landmark MGM v. Grokster case, von Lohmann confirmed he is leaving EFF to take a job as Google's senior copyright counsel. In an e-mail Wednesday, von Lohmann declined to comment further.

If you're a fan of unimpeded innovation, the free distribution of content over the Web, and Internet users' right to privacy then you should take your hat off to von Lohmann. The way his … Read more

A group of music publishers on Wednesday filed a copyright complaint in federal court against LimeWire's parent company and founder Mark Gorton, according to documents obtained by CNET.

Eight members of the National Music Publishers' Association, including the publishing arms of the four largest recording companies, were named as plaintiffs in the suit. They accuse Lime Group, parent of software maker Lime Wire, and Gorton with "copyright infringement on a massive scale."

The suit comes as LimeWire, the nation's largest file-sharing service, is trying to convince U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood not to shut down the service. … Read more

Lime Wire managers have plans to transform the nation's largest file-sharing network into a legal music service, company representatives told CNET.

"It will have unrestricted downloading and streaming," a spokeswoman said in a statement. "It will be easy-to-use and easy to pay for. It will allow consumers to better discover music through advanced search tools, find more recommendations, and have access to millions of songs on-demand."

The only thing that might be missing from a new LimeWire music store is, well, music--or at least tracks from the four largest record companies. At this point, the … Read more

LimeWire lives another day.

The besieged file-sharing service will likely stay in business a minimum of two weeks. During a hearing on Monday, U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood gave Lime Wire lawyers two weeks to respond to a motion filed Friday by the music industry to close down LimeWire.

Last month, Wood granted summary judgment for the Recording Industry Association of America and found Lime Group, parent of LimeWire software maker Lime Wire, and founder Mark Gorton liable of copyright infringement. In papers filed Friday, the RIAA told Wood that every day LimeWire is available to the public, irreparable … Read more

The music industry wants a federal court to order Lime Wire managers to stop streaming advertisements and collecting ad revenue, and to cease offering software upgrades, according to court documents.

U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood could deliver a knockout blow to Lime Wire on Monday morning if she agrees to grant the music industry's request--filed with the court on Friday--for a permanent injunction against the controversial file-sharing service. The top record companies accused LimeWire violating copyright law in a complaint filed August 2006.

Bleak is the only way to describe Lime Wire's future after Wood … Read more

The music industry has asked a federal court in New York to order a shutdown of the LimeWire service, according to documents obtained by CNET.

Lawyers working for the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group for the four top record companies, filed documents on Friday requesting that a U.S. District Court in Manhattan grant them a permanent injunction against the country's largest commercial file-sharing service.

"Every day that Lime Wire's conduct continues unabated guarantees harm to plaintiffs that money damages cannot and will not compensate," RIAA lawyers wrote to U.S. District Judge … Read more