First there was Napster, then there was Grockster, each file sharing sites shut down for violations of copyright.  Now Lime Wire joins the group.

Today federal judge Kimba Wood ordered Lime Wire shut down, and as the information on Lime Wire’s corporate web site indicates, the site has indeed shut down.

The issue in the case (and other like it) is whether providing the tools to users to share copyrighted material constitutes a violation of copyright laws.   Judge Wood ruled that Lime Wire was guilty of inducing copyright infringement and vicarious copyright infringement.

An excellent discussion of the legal issues in this case can be found at the New Leaf Legal Blog.