RIP LimeWire

LimeWire (one of the most popular peer-to-peer file-sharing services that existed) is now shutting down for good.

The company was defeated seven months ago in Federal Court, and tried to reinvent itself as a store in which music could be purchased legally, a la iTunes or eMusic. But it was all to no avail.

The company’s official statement reads:

“Given our current situation, plans to bring our separate, legal music service to market have been canceled. The beginning of 2011 will mark the closing of LimeWire’s New York office and cessation of business by LimeWire. We attracted some of the top talent from the technology community over the years to build our new music service. We’ll be helping our team members commence their job search over the next few months.”

LimeWire now falls in the communal grave where Naptser and Grokster lie along with a wealth of lesser-known sites for the illegal sharing of media.

So long, LimeWire. It was good fun while it lasted.