What Next for LimeWire and its Users

[DaBees-Knees]

http://rapiddaily.com/what-next-for-...-users/427829/

LimeWire was shut down by court ordered injunction last week. The company was forced to disable its P2P file-sharing software. LimeWires’s digital media store remains open.

The big question is what will happen to LimeWire and it’s users? The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says armed with the court ruling it “will start to unwind the massive piracy machine.” But will it?

The recording industry’s victory may be short-lived. Many users may simply move to similar peer-to-peer programs like FrostWire or BearShare and there are already indications this is happening. The problem users will face is that this open source technology was 80 percent powered by LimeWire. If there is no music who will use these services or will a totally new alternative be developed?

It is clear that these programs are very popular and Americans want to be able to share music freely, regardless of RIAA’s opinion. Napster, Kazaa and others have faced similar situations before LimeWire, whose success was ultimately its downfall.

LimeWire itself was found guilty of copyright infringement in May and still faces a January trial to determine punitive damages. Will the company survive like Kazaa did? The old LimeWire is certainly dead but it is likely to re-emerge as a copyright compliant company.

LimeWire is reportedly far along in the process of developing a new music service. LimeWire has seen the handwriting on the wall for some time, after being involved in the four-year legal battle. In June LimeWire developed its digital music store with the support of the record companies.

An agreement was struck that permitted the company to run until October 8, if at that point the new system was not ready LimeWire would shut down. An extension was granted but last Tuesday that ran out and the company was forced to disable its P2P file sharing network.

LimeWire issued a statement saying, “We’re hopeful that the music industry will seize the opportunity to work with LimeWire and bring a game-changing new music service to market.” The company says, ‘There are two pieces that will define the launch of our new service. One is the development of our new music experience, and the second is working with the music industry.”

The word "Castration" comes to mind.