

The company claimed the paid version provides faster downloads and 66% better search results. Until October 2010, Lime Wire LLC, the New York City based developer of LimeWire, distributed two versions of the program: a basic gratis version, and an enhanced version, LimeWire PRO, which sold for a fee of $21.95 with 6 months of updates, or around $35.00 with 1 year of updates. Following LimeWire 4.13.11, TLS became the default connection option. Beginning with LimeWire 4.13.9, connections can be encrypted with Transport Layer Security (TLS). As such, when LimeWire is running and configured to allow it, any files shared are detectable and downloaded on the local network by DAAP-enabled devices (e.g., Zune, iTunes). LimeWire offers sharing of its library through the Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP). 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. Support for Mac OS 9 and other previous versions was dropped with the release of LimeWire 4.0.10.

Installers were provided for Apple's Mac OS X, Microsoft's Windows, and Linux. Written in the Java programming language, LimeWire can run on any computer with a Java Virtual Machine installed. 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. Thereafter, the company stopped distributing the LimeWire software, and versions 5.5.11 and newer have been disabled using a backdoor installed by the company.

As a result of the injunction, the RIAA initially suggested that LimeWire was responsible for $72 trillion in damages, before eventually settling for $105 million. A trial investigating the damages necessary to compensate the affected record labels was scheduled to begin in January 2011. 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. BitTorrent support is provided by libtorrent. LimeWire uses the gnutella network as well as the BitTorrent protocol. īoth a 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. In 2007, LimeWire was estimated to be installed on over one-third of all computers globally. Created by Mark Gorton in 2000, it was most prominently a tool used for the download and distribution of pirated materials, particularly pirated music. LimeWire was a free peer-to-peer file sharing client for Windows, MacOS, Linux and Solaris.
