The latest on Limewire

Recent statistics suggest a drop in file sharing in the United States following the closure of Limewire. NPD report a drop from 16% in 2007 to just 9%. All this for something that should have been monetised from the start. TechDirt suggest quite rightly that the drop in file sharing is unlikely to correlate to an increase in music purchasing during the quarter with people likely to move to other services to get their music. Frostwire and BitTorrent remain viable alternatives and are likely to gain users over time.

This comes after a judge recently ruled that Limewire could not be held liable for statutory damages for each time a file was shared stating that this would lead to damages amounting to "more money than the entire music recording industry has made since Edison’s invention of the phonograph in 1877.”

Limewire has already settled its case with music publishers and it shouldn't be too long before a decision is made with respect to the damages for the recording industry. Limewire was seeking data from retailers such as Amazon and Apple to help establish the quantity of damages payable but so far it appears that this information has not been revealed.

Further Reading
TechDirt, Drop In P2P File Sharing Due To Limewire Shutdown A Pyrrhic Victory For The Recording Industry (25 March 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110324/16194713614/drop-p2p-file-sharing-due-to-limewire-shutdown-pyrrhic-victory-recording-industry.shtml > at 26 March 2011

ZeroPaid, Post LimeWire, P2P Usage Plummets 50%! (24 March 2011) < http://www.zeropaid.com/news/92907/post-limewire-p2p-usage-plummets-50/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zeropaid+%28Zeropaid+File+Sharing+P2P+News%29 > at 26 March 2011

ZeroPaid, Judge to RIAA: Limewire Liable for Billions Not Trillions (11 March 2011) < http://www.zeropaid.com/news/92783/judge-to-riaa-limewire-liable-for-billions-not-trillions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zeropaid+%28Zeropaid+File+Sharing+P2P+News%29 > at 14 March 2011

TechDirt, Judge Rejects RIAA's Attempt To Claim 'Trillions' In Damages From Limewire (11 March 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110311/06521713462/judge-rejects-riaas-attempt-to-claim-trillions-damages-limewire.shtml > at 14 March 2011

ZeroPaid, LimeWire Settles Music Publishers Case, Still Faces Labels (10 March 2011) < http://www.zeropaid.com/news/92763/limewire-settles-music-publishers-case-still-faces-labels/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zeropaid+%28Zeropaid+File+Sharing+P2P+News%29 > at 11 March 2011

ArsTechnica, LimeWire seeks data from Amazon in bid to avoid big payout to RIAA (3 January 2011) <http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/limewire-seeks-data-from-amazon-in-bid-to-avoid-big-payout-to-riaa.ars> at 18 January 2011

ZeroPaid, LimeWire Wants Data From Amazon, Apple to Determine RIAA Payout (4 January 2011) < http://www.zeropaid.com/news/91849/limewire-wants-data-from-amazon-apple-to-determine-riaa-payout/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zeropaid+%28Zeropaid+File+Sharing+P2P+News%29 > at 17 January 2011

TechDirt, Limewire Seeking All The Recording Industry's Secrets (4 January 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110104/02223912507/limewire-seeking-all-recording-industrys-secrets.shtml > at 17 January 2011