Limewire is the most popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing program on the Internet. It’s written in the Java programming language and runs on a wide variety of platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux. Any type of file can be shared, such as music, movies, photos, etc.

Limewire uses the BitTorrent protocol and the Gnutella network to provide services. Users connect to each other directly (hence the peer-to-peer designation) without the need of a central server. Each user specifies the folders and files available for download from his/her system.

Free music usually brings questions of legal issues to mind. That’s because several years ago, the RIAA launched a legal challenge to music sharing sites and the people that downloaded music without paying for it. The claim was copyright infringement, and record producers pushed the cases as far as legally possible in order to stop the practice.