Limewire is most likely a illegal program that I am sure is being tracked by RIAA, any programs that doesnt have a price tag per download is most likely illegal. Limeware for the meantime has been lucky that it hasnt encountered too much attention, because there are various programs out there that has been balancing the load of interest for RIAA to take any big action on limewire like they did on NAPSTER. NAPSTER was the "program" that everyone used and so the peer ratio was enormous and downloads were almost instant cause so many people were sharing. But since that has been closed and napster turned into a paying service. Everything for them went downhill. Not only that but with fines reaching shared users these days it has scared a lot of people from using programs such as limewire, and even if they did they would turn off the sharing feature that makes searching for music and such easy. Now its hard to find resources to download a file like when we did back then. I used to use limewire as the "other" program with the passing of napster, but after all the dud files I got from limewire, I turned to website sources for my downloads now. I found that the website resources gives me much better download speed than if I was to search on limewire, not only that but the quality is also better. Limewire files seems to have too many washed and depreciated quality in mp3 formats. I have learned to use google in a way to search for all my music that I look for, next thing you know RIAA will probably work with google to stop the search for mp3 formats, till that day happens I will probably just continue to download as much as i can before that day happens which it eventually will. Because like everything in life nothing lasts forever and you should appreciate while you still have it now.

Sten made a very good point it would not be legal simply because Artists would not give away there song for free!
Why dont people just pay by iTunes!

I agree with what you guys or girls are saying. Limewire is both legal and illegal. Its all up to how you use it. There is oviously illegal music, vids, files ect... everywhere but its all up to whether or not you choose to use or download them. Its like how here in Canada you can get on a bus from the back doors and they wont say anything. They will even let you by opening the doors for you but getting on without paying is illegal. So its solely up to you whether or not you pay for your music. I personally think you should because i know it sucks having to pay and i hate it to but by paying that few dollars a month or whatever currency you use you keep music alive. I know as an artist that its hard to pay for everything when people don't support you. There is alot people downloading don't concider. I have to pay for my software licences and the equipment and other expences to make the music i make. Hope that helps.

The software is legal, the server is legal, but the uploading and downloading side isn't. A company cannot sue Limewire for anything it's users have done. However, it can sue the users for using the service. If the software you download has been made commercially available via Open Source, then you are OK. If not, then it is illegal.

I remember back in the day, ok like the 80's and early 90's. When CDs were first being manufactured, not everyone had a CD player... they had these little cartridges called cassette tapes.... and you didn't connect it to the PC... hmmmm, so had did you get a chance to listen to the new music!? You waited until it came on the radio, and you recorded it through your light pink boom box... It also did not have definition sound... and it also wasn't paid for... So like, if someone found out you were listening to Color Me Bad for free, did they take away your boombox!? How do you take away sound waves from a radio station....

Yes, downloading music not from iPod and Apple is illegal, but isn't it the same that if you didn't buy the cassette tapes and recorded it from the radio, and made a copy for your pals to jam to... Isn't that the same idea, but with different media!!??

... think real hard about that one...

Maybe it is just easy to be very critical about it, now that it can be traced...

(This is an opinion... it obviously does not change the rules any!) If people want to pirate music over the net, they are going to... the smart thing to do is not be one of these people, and you will not be in trouble!

The program itself isn't illegal it's the files that people host on their server if they don't have the rights from the owner from what i understand it's not illegal it's just the files cause unless you have a hacked version of limewire pro which is illegal and you do not own the rights to and souldn't be using it.

Using Limewire is illegal if you are using it to share or download copyrighted material which you do not have the rights to distribute. It is legal if you are sharing your own work or downloading material where the copyright owner has given you permission to download the material. You should use it with caution, and be aware of the files you are downloading.

Limewire in itself is not illegal; it is only illegal when people download copyrighted music not licensed for distribution that is hosted by someone. This of course does not apply to some music, such as when the author gives permission for redistribution or it is licensed under an open-source license, like creative commons. MY opinion is that the RIAA has no right to prosecute limewire. They try their best to avoid copyright breaching, however, the riaa is of course greedy and wants as music money as possible, even if they sacrifice fairness.

Of course the software it self is not illegal, at least in the U.S. Violating copyright laws is illegal.

However. if the company is somehow encouraging the use their software for questionable activities then they may be deemed liable. I believe this was the issue with Napster.

I like the cassette argument as I have heard and made it myself before. I actually remember reading somewhere that there was resistance to cassettes being able to record from the radio by record companies at one point as well. I believe there was a similair argument for VCR tapes as well. I will see if I can find a cite for that.

While I do not support copyright infringement at all I do believe that the record industry seems to trying to run on an outdated model for the most part. I also have to laugh when I hear record companies complain about declining sales and instantly blame the internet with out ever wondering if maybe their product just happens to suck. I think much of the sales loss can be attributed to the latter.

Yer its 100% illegal.
To some extent it can be considered as sharing like freeware(legal) but other that that, by downloading music, programs, which you have to pay
is very much illegal. Be careful, cause u might get busted if ure caught. If do download illegal stuff, u can denfinity be put on for the blame, and agreeing
with there agreements, ure making it a whole lot more illegal.