LimeWire Users
LimeWire is legal software, but it is illegal for you to use
LimeWire to share copyrighted files without permission. Purchasing
LimeWire PRO does not constitute a license for obtaining or
distributing unauthorized files. When you download LimeWire software
from www.limewire.com, you
agree to refrain from using LimeWire for the purpose of copyright
infringement.
Sharing files in your Library
Everything you share with LimeWire becomes public and trackable.
To check which files you're sharing, open LimeWire and click on
"Shared Files" in the upper-left directory. Clicking on the folders
(and sub-folders) will show the files you're sharing. To use LimeWire
legally, you must have the owner's permission to share every file in
your Library on the Gnutella network. For example, music and movies
from major labels and movie studios are copyrighted, and you do not
have permission to share these files (even if you bought them). If
you're having trouble determining if a file is OK to share, here are
a few ideas that may help:
Look in the "License" column within the LimeWire
program to see if a file has a shareable license type.
Files that another user has published as Creative
Commons appear as
. A file with a verified Creative
Commons license is legal to share. You can verify a specific
file by right-clicking on the CC icon, selecting "View License"
and selecting "Verify". Files with unverified Creative Commons
licenses may still be illegal to share.
Weedshare
files appear as
in the License column, and can be
legally shared. These files have DRM (Digital Rights Management) that
allows users to play the file three times for free before deciding
to buy.
Search for a registration with the US Copyright Office database.
A work may still be copyrighted and illegal to share even if
it's not registered with the US Copyright Office.
Downloading files on the Gnutella network
There are many programs other than LimeWire that connect users to the
Gnutella network. Keep in mind that many users disobey copyright law --
downloading copyrighted files from such users means you're both breaking the law!
LimeWire filtering features
The LimeWire filtering feature is designed to help users share
legally while protecting copyright owners. When filtering is enabled,
LimeWire checks the status of the files before downloading them. If
a copyright owner has requested that a file not be shared, LimeWire
prohibits the downloading of that file. Enabling Filtering helps
users share files with LimeWire more safely and responsibly. At the
time of installation, you will be prompted to select your filtering
options. At any time, you can set Filtering Options by selecting
'Filters' in the menu and then 'Configure Content Filters'. This will
open the 'Content' section of 'Filters' in the Options dialog, and
allow you to check the 'Enable Content Filters' checkbox.
Right now, our filtering blacklist is not comprehensive and many
copyrighted files may still be available on the network. Our goal is
to eventually filter out all files that copyright owners do not wish
to be shared with LimeWire. We are working to make the Filtering
System as effective and error-proof as possible. If you are a
copyright owner, you can register to participate in the filtering
system here.
LimeWire User Privacy
Lime Wire respects the privacy of its users. Lime Wire does not
log IP addresses and/or any other identifying information. However,
your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may be required by disclose such
information.
What happens if I commit copyright infringement?
Your activities on peer-to-peer networks such as LimeWire's may be
monitored by copyright owners. By committing copyright infringement
your risks include significant settlement fees if you are sued.
Copyright owners have sued thousands of people for online copyright
infringement. Don't be the next one!
Where can I get more information about peer-to-peer and copyright?
More information on music and movie copyrights is available at the
RIAA and
MPAA websites.