Major Labels Win LimeWire Copyright Case

Loses Case

File-sharing software LIMEWIRE's creators have been found liable to 13 major record companies that accused the service of infringing their music copyrights, a NEW YORK federal judge has ruled. REUTERS reports "U.S. District Judge KIMBA WOOD agreed with the record companies that LIMEWIRE's parent LIME WIRE LLC and its founder MARK GORTON were liable for infringement and engaging in unfair competition."

"The evidence demonstrates that LIME WIRE optimized LIMEWIRE's features to ensure that users can download digital recordings, the majority of which are protected by copyright, and that LIME WIRE assisted users in committing infringement," WOOD wrote in her 59-page ruling, adding GORTON "directed and benefited from many of the activities that gave rise to LIME WIRE's liability," and knew about the copyright infringement.

The court's decision is an important milestone in the creative community's fight to reclaim the Internet as a platform for legitimate commerce.

The lawsuit, which was filed in AUGUST 2006, included ARISTA, ATLANTIC, BMG MUSIC, CAPITOL, ELEKTRA, INTERSCOPE, LAFACE, MOTOWN, PRIORITY, SONY BMG, UMG, VIRGIN and WARNER BROTHERS as plaintiffs..

"The court's decision is an important milestone in the creative community's fight to reclaim the Internet as a platform for legitimate commerce," said RIAA CEO MITCH BAINWOL. "The court has sent a clear signal to those who think they can devise and profit from a piracy scheme that will escape accountability."

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