LimeWire to shut down completely on Dec. 31

NEW YORK (AP) - Lime Group, whose LimeWire software was barred from letting people share copyright-protected files over the Internet, will shutter the remainder of its operations on Dec. 31, the company said Friday.

LimeWire, which enabled people to share copyright-protected songs and other files, received a federal injunction in October. At the time, the company said it would continue developing a new, legal service that would include a desktop player, mobile apps and a catalog of music from which people could stream and download songs.

"As a result of our current legal situation, we have no choice but to wind down LimeWire Store operations," spokesperson Tiffany Guarnaccia said Friday. "Given our current situation, plans to bring our separate, legal music service to market, have been canceled."