MUMBAI: LimeWire Software operators have agreed to pay major record labels $105 million, ending a federal trial over copyright infringement damages. The settlement took place with 13 record companies, including labels owned by Sony Corp, Vivendi SA, Warner Music Group Corp, and Citigroup Inc's EMI Group.

On the settlement, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) chairman Mitch Bainwol said, We are pleased to have reached a monetary settlement following the court's finding that both LimeWire and its founder Mark Gorton personally liable for copyright infringement. As the court heard during the last two weeks, LimeWire wreaked enormous damage on the music community....

The suit against LimeWire was filed in 2006 by the record labels and RIAA accusing LimeWire for running a web service that allowed users to share copyright-protected files online. LimeWire began in 2000 by Mark Gorton, the defendant in the case, who continued to operate the site even after the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that a similar service could be held liable for infringement.

Five years ago, Kazaa, another peer-to-peer file-sharing system, settled a suit with the major record companies for $115 million.