Version History LimeWire: Steal this podcast
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Nov 16, 2025 
Nilay Patel and Sarah Jeong, both esteemed technology journalists, dive into the legacy of LimeWire. They share personal piracy memories and examine how services like LimeWire reshaped copyright law. The discussion highlights significant legal battles, including the Grokster decision and its implications for file-sharing. They also explore LimeWire's eventual shutdown and the rise of legal streaming platforms. The conversation wraps up with a look at LimeWire's modern attempts at brand revival in the era of NFTs.
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LimeWire Normalized Peer-to-Peer Piracy
- LimeWire emerged as a sleeker, mainstream successor to Napster and other peer-to-peer apps, attracting massive college adoption.
- Its interface and ubiquity made piracy feel normal and product-like, changing user behavior and expectations.
College Piracy Radicalized A Future Tech Lawyer
- Nilay Patel describes being radicalized in college by Napster/LimeWire and defending students sued over Kazaa.
- He says those experiences drove him toward law and then tech writing.
LimeWire Installed Spyware On Install
- LimeWire bundled invasive software like LimeShop that secretly injected affiliate codes and tracked purchases.
- Uninstalling LimeWire often left spyware behind, surprising many users.