WebProNews: We’re told the LimeWire software has been translated into Arabic and will soon be translated into Persian, while the software and website are translated into a total of 23 languages. How are languages chosen and what does this means for the global peer to peer community?
 
Zeeshan Zaidi: LimeWire has over 50 million users and they are located in virtually every country on the planet.  Ideally, we would love to have LimeWire’s software and website available in every language so all our users could enjoy LimeWire in their native tongues.  To that end, we "crowdsourced" the translation of our software, through the LimeWire Open Source Project, giving users the ability to translate the client into their own languages. This has been a great success and we hope to continue to add languages this way.  In addition, we have supplemented these efforts with professional translation, especially of the LimeWire.com website.
 
Languages are prioritized based on the size of the total internet population that speaks a given language, as well as the total LimeWire population of native speakers of a language that are currently using our software in English.  For example, we already had many users throughout the Middle East and North Africa using LimeWire in English, but with the addition of an Arabic translation, we can now make LimeWire accessible to entire online populations of the countries in the region — we’re very excited about this. With the next release in December, we are adding Korean, Greek, Norwegian and Persian to our list of translated languages. With each additional language, we connect more corners of the world to our network.
 
Sometimes our objectives when choosing languages go beyond reaching the most users — Persian is an example of this.  When the Iranian post-election protest movement was gathering steam last summer, and the Iranian government was blocking the flow of coverage and information about the protests, Lime Wire took action.  We didn’t take a stance on the elections themselves, but we are firmly committed to facilitating the free flow of information and strongly opposed to these forms of government censorship.  We featured video clips from the protests on our software’s home page, and encouraged users throughout the world to download and spread the videos.  However, at the time LimeWire did not have a Persian translation so we made that a priority. Coincidentally, Iranian activists have recently approached us letting us know that they want to be able to use LimeWire to share files amongst themselves and circumvent their government’s attempts to block their communications.  Again, while we are politically neutral, we will always take the side of internet and information freedom.
 
WPN: We’re told the latest version of the LimeWire software (5.3) improves BitTorrent performance, adds selective-downloading and file-prioritization within the torrent, and faster startup. Can you tell us a little bit about the release and what is on tap for future releases?
 
ZZ: With every new release of LimeWire we add new features that are exciting to our users.  We added BitTorrent functionality at the beginning of this year because there was a lot of demand for this, and we have been enhancing these capabilities with every release.  So LimeWire users can now share files through the BitTorrent protocol in addition to the Gnutella network.  The adoption rate of version 5.3 has been great and we are very pleased with the results.
 
In the next release — 5.4 — we’re going to be adding additional features such as a video player and even better BitTorrent features.  It is our goal to continue to innovate on the software front and continue to provide our users with the best features.
 
WPN: It sounds like the LimeWire Store plays a key role in the future of LimeWre. Can you tell us about some of the plans for that?

ZZ: Many people don’t realize that in addition to developing file sharing software Lime Wire also operates a music store. LimeWire Store has over 4 million tracks available for sale a la carte or through a subscription service.  All tracks are fully licensed from record labels and music publishers.  Currently, the store is only available in the US.
 
There is a tremendous opportunity in expanding the nature and breadth of the offering of LimeWire Store and rolling it out internationally. We’re working towards launching a new paid subscription music service. We plan to couple this with other ways to monetize the user experience. This plan has tremendous potential for the industry, and if successful, will put lots of money into the hands of copyright owners.  Lime Wire is serious about this mission: we are in talks with the entire music industry to make it happen.  We’ve also assembled a team of talented and experienced media and technology executives so we can deliver on this vision.
 
WPN: You arrived at Lime Wire after working with Sony BMG, Arista and RCA overseeing online marketing and running digital business initiatives, as well as being a musician and an attorney. Can you discuss how your background influences your decisions at Lime Wire?
 
ZZ: As we’re planning the expansion of our store and the rollout of the new music service, my perspective is definitely informed by my background as an attorney, musician, and former record label executive. I care that consumers are provided with the best music search, discovery, sharing, and listening experience that takes advantage of cutting edge technology to give our users what they want when they want it.
 
As Lime Wire prepares for the launch of our new subscription music service, these are the company’s objectives and we’re determined to work in conjunction with the music industry to achieve them.
 
WPN: A representative for Lime Wire tells us file sharing is not about a battle between file sharers and the music industry, and that technology companies such as Lime Wire can work with labels and publishers to build and deploy services that consumers will like. How do you see this developing?
 
ZZ: Although there’s currently a lot of heated public debate about file sharing I do not view it as battle between file sharers and the music industry.  I have no negative feelings towards the music establishment.  Quite the contrary: I respect the magnitude of challenges that they are facing, because I used to tackle them myself.  It’s not easy to protect a revenue base coming from content when digitization is changing the way your consumers interact with and consume it.   My belief, though, is that technology companies such as Lime Wire can work with record labels and publishers to build and deploy services that consumers will love. One way of accomplishing this is through rolling out the music service that I describe above.
 
WebProNews would like to thank Zeeshan for sharing his responses with our readers. What do you think of Lime Wire’s future plans? Comment here.

 
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A while back Lime Wire began making big moves to establish its reputation as a truly legitimate player in the online music industry. They have the LimeWire Store, as well as the recently announced more social version of the file-sharing service, LimeWire 5. 

Chris Crum: Obviously file-sharing programs are often shed in a negative light with constant legal issues from the RIAA, MPAA, etc. What’s the picture looking like on that front these days? Has the tension eased, strengthened, or remained basically the same?
 

George Searle: I am encouraged, on the one hand, to see the music industry move away from their failed strategy of suing individuals, but discouraged, on the other, that their focus has not yet shifted from limiting customers. Having ISPs police and disconnect file sharers will do nothing to help the industry’s position; nor will it put a single penny into the pockets of artists, songwriters and publishers.  The challenge of making money in the digital world will require a more thoughtful process and sensitive, respectful, approach to users.  Lime Wire would like to help the music industry introduce a full range of commercial services to monetize file sharing and harness, rather than alienate, music consumers.

CC: Lime Wire has been forming partnerships such as with The Orchard, IODA, Redeye Distribution, Nettwerk Music Group, IRIS and even Comedy Central. Are there any other big name content partners in the mix at this point?

GS:  We’re very encouraged by our current partnerships, and are working with some of the best here.  We continue to expand these partnerships and work more closely with the partners we currently have. The total number of songs available in the LimeWire Store is now over two million, and greater success will attract further partnerships.  As we’ve said, we look forward to the day we can work together with the entire music industry to help expand their reach and deliver more to the consumer. We’re optimistic that this will happen

CC: Can you talk a little bit about your strategy for getting content partners on board, when the nature of file sharing programs in general have been such a thorn in the sides of these organizations for so long?

GS: What’s happening in peer-to-peer and at LimeWire right now represents a unique opportunity for the music industry.  Together, we have a historic opportunity to build a new future of file sharing that compensates rights holders while maintaining the aspects of technology and community that make P2P attractive.  Our users initiate over 5 billion searches every month.  That’s 5 billion opportunities to reach fans with the right message, the right product and the right price.  We think that P2P can simultaneously support a number of services, including promotion, ad supported, sponsored, subscription, and a la carte paid downloads of music; and have had several promising meetings with Labels to develop a model that will compensate both the Labels and their artists.

CC: How critical of a role do the recently introduced social networking elements of Lime Wire play in future of the company?

GS:  P2P has always been inherently social, and with 5.0 we are bringing social to the forefront.  One exciting feature of 5.0 is that it allows the user to easily set up personal sharing networks on a file-by-file, friend-by-friend basis.  For example, you can share vacation photos with a limited circle of friends or work documents with your colleagues, and discover new files from other members of your social circle. All of this is built off your existing, trusted social contacts through Jabber compatible services like Gmail or LiveJournal.

Thanks to Mr. Searle for the interview. Read my interview with Justin Ouellette, CEO of Muxtape, another important player in the online music industry.

Devin Leonard with Fortune reports that Lime Wire has attracted +1 Records with a campaign to promote the label’s band The Morning Benders, and sell its music through Lime Wire’s music download store, which was launched earlier this year. Independent label The Orchard has already been participating, also offering tracks in the Lime Wire Store.

But that’s only the beginning. Lime Wire is trying to get major labels on board (which will surely be no easy task for them since they have been practically bitter enemies) to launch a legitimate online music site that would serve as a giant search engine for music. Naturally MySpace Music comes to mind, and honestly makes Lime Wire’s plan seem not so far-fetched. Leonard writes:

Earlier this year, Universal was suing MySpace in federal court for copyright violations. Now the majors are joint venture partners in the social network’s new ad-supported free music service.

In the end, some would say, the future of Lime Wire and the big record labels, too, may boil down to this: Does the music industry want to embrace the future (or even the present) and work with its one-time adversaries like Lime Wire? Or would it rather go down fighting its last and most epic battle over copyright infringement in the digital age?

If you want to know my personal opinion, I think the recording industry will eventually cave and give in to more platforms for online music (even if not for Lime Wire in particular). I think we’re going to see more strides the way we’re seeing with video right now. They’re going to eventually realize that the piracy battle will never truly be won, and that they can make their money other ways by playing ball.