So, does the existence of open source code mean that paying for anything is unnecessary? (Taking a statement and turning it into a ridiculous absolute, sorry).

Yes, free software exists. The people who made it chose to make it that way. This does not mean that everyone else has to make the same decision. If I were to choose to give you one of my sculptures for free (doesn't really exist, it's just an example) that would not mean that you could then demand that all other sculpters give you their work for free.

Same with software. If you don't like that LimeWire costs $$, don't get it, get one like Gnucleus that is free. Do that, but don't demand that LimeWire be free as well. Or get a clue, and realize that it really is if you would just visit the CVS

AquaLime rocks, check it out!

I don´t care if it is optional or not... many users don´t know what they install! And the freewire developers are claiming (in the agreement) they have to pay theirs bills so please install this crap! Hey which bills? Limewire is doing the work and freewire wants to earn money, this sucks!

@ MamiyaOtaru

Sure the developement of open source code cost money! But open source is mostly developed from coders in their free time and they don´t ask money for it! I don´t know why Limewire released the code and now they try to make money with it!

But first if I pay, I will pay the people who DO THE WORK - here Limewire and not some wannaby developers that want make money!

And I NEVER WILL pay them with spyware!!!

So if they want to earn money they should create a good product and ask money for it!

What's the problem with forking out eight and a half bucks to download PRO if it works for you and you can avoid spyware. I like the interface (but don't like the crashes). Hopefully my 8.5 $ goes to some additional dev.

If you want the opensource software go to limewire.org and, as previouly mentioned, download the code. You can get the JDK from java.sun.com and compile it yourself. Then you no longer have a reason to complain.

My 2¢
David

Surely you are not that stupid whoever you are that started this post. Intelectual property has always been protected and as well is should be. Unless you are some sort of communist, them asking for a small fee for us to use what they spent time on is perfectly acceptable. IF you dont want to use it dont bother. Go sit in cuba with castro. Then you can share everything all you want. You'll love it to cause there will be nothing to share because all the other people who think like you are just as lazy as you to and never accomplish anything, hence the Fall of the Solviet Union, the poverty of Cuba and the Capitalist "comunism' of China. Not that the people are lazy but it is human nature and perfectly within someones God given rights to expect some sort of compensation for the work they do. If one doesnt see any return then they usually wont bother. Then we would have jack ****. and be living in the darkages again.

-"If you have chosen to be stupid, then I have the right to make fun of you. You can not judge a man for what he was born with but you can judge him for the decisions he makes."
-"there are none so blind as those who WILL not see"

Well, I didn't start this thread, but:
Hey, my little dear. You are barking at a wrong tree. Surely you are using LW to download something you haven't paid for!? What the hell do you care for other people's "intellectual proberty"? What makes LW so special that this is the only "intellectual property" which HAS to be paid for? IF you ARE using this to download someone else's "intellectual property" don't bother about that of this software likewise! This has nothing to do with profound insight about human nature as such. It's just that we are bunch of people who can care less about paying too much for music, movies, etc. Self-righteusness isn't a virtue among us LW users, if you haven't noticed.

Of course, if you have never downloaded anything with copyright attached, you are a better person than I am. And you are worthy accusing others of abusing "intellectual property"...

Does anyone know of any example of a legal use for LimeWire ?

And not contrived - something useful you yourself have done.

And that doesn't include saturating the network with 56k .asf's that forward you to some porn trap for advertising revenues.

So if nearly all of us are here screwing some group over (the RIAA and MPAA most often), then why is the LimeGroup itself exempt - why the sudden influx of ethics ?

Is this a matter of honor among theives, or is it self-interest in not biting the hand that feeds you (even though they feed us TopMoxie) ?

EXACTLY!