NEW YORK (Reuters) - LimeWire operators agreed to pay record $ 105 million companies, putting an end to a federal trial on the infringement of copyright for damages caused by the once-popular file-sharing service but now disappeared.
The settlement with 13 record companies, including labels to Sony Corp., Vivendi SA, Warner Music Group Corp. and Citigroup Inc. EMI Group, followed by mediation and ends five years of litigation.
U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood in Manhattan ruled last May that the parents of this LimeWire, group of lime and Lime Wire LLC, unfairly helped users hacking digital recordings.
She closed the LimeWire in October, leaving open the question of damage that may have exceeded $ 1 billion on approximately 10,000 recordings released since 1972. A trial by jury on this question had begun last week.
"Thread lime and its founder, Mark Gorton, are pleased that this case has concluded," according to their law firm of Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, who announced the settlement.
Labels include Arista, Atlantic, BMG Music, Capitol, Elektra, Interscope, Laface, Motown, priority, Sony BMG, UMG, Virgin and Warner Brothers.
"We are pleased to have achieved a large monetary settlement," Chief Executive Mitch Bainwol RIAA said in a statement. He called the agreement a victory for music providers to "respect the rules."
Founded in 2000, LimeWire has been a thorn for the disks because companies that millions of fans used as an easy way to find and download free music. Its owners have said that the service had a time of more than 50 million monthly users.
LimeWire firm five years after the Supreme Court of the United States, in a case of 2005 involving file-sharing services Grokster Ltd., said companies could be sued for copyright infringement if they distributed services designed to be used for this purposeeven if the devices could also be used legally.
Warner CEO Edgar Bronfman said Wednesday at the trial that he was frustrated that LimeWire is not closed or converted into a "legal service" after the Grokster decision. "It is devastating, frankly."
In March, the lime group settled a separate copyright suit by more than 30 music publishers. Terms were not disclosed. [nN08178050] Companies for the registration of copyright own records while publishers can possess copyright of songs themselves.
It is Arista Records LLC et al v. lime group et al., Court of District of United States, Southern District of New York, no. 06-05936.
(Reported by Jonathan Stempel in New York.) (Editing by Gary Hill)
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