Is It Legal to Download Music from Limewire?

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By Jared Newman
eHow Contributing Writer

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Limewire is a peer-to-peer program that allows users to share music over the Internet. Although the program hosts files that are legal to download, it also hosts music that is protected by copyright law. This article will cover the legality of downloading music using the service.

History

Limewire follows a long line of programs that allowed for downloading music, including Napster, Grokster and Kazaa.

Function

The program allows peer-to-peer transfers of files, meaning they are shared directly between individual users.

Legal Use

Music files that are not protected by copyright, such as Creative Commons-licensed files and live music from bands that allow distribution of audience-taped shows, are legal to download. Songs purchased from the Limewire Store are also legal to download.

Illegal Use

Copyrighted music not purchased from the Limewire Store is illegal to download. When you install the program, Limewire requires you to agree not to download copyrighted music.

Useful Hint

To automatically avoid sharing copyrighted music, navigate to the "security" tab in Limewire's options menu and check the box that says "Don't let me download or upload files copyright owners request not be shared."