Privacy Policy
Effective Date: July 22, 2009
Lime Wire LLC ("Lime Wire") is the author and distributor of the LimeWire file-sharing software available at www.limewire.com (both LimeWire BASIC and LimeWire PRO) (the "Program"), the owner and operator of the Lime Wire website located at www.limewire.com, the owner and operator of the Lime Company website located at limecompany.com and the owner and operator of the LimeWire Store located at www.store.limewire.com (the “Lime Wire Websites”). This privacy statement comprises the privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) of Lime Wire applicable to the information you provide to us or that we collect on the Lime Wire Websites, through Lime Wire Customer Support or through your purchases of, interactions with, or use of the Program (your “User Information”). As described further below, User Information may include information that identifies you personally (“Personally-Identifiable Information”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use and handle User Information, including Personally-Identifiable Information.
Your right to privacy and data security is a primary concern to us, and that’s why we strive to ensure that every user experience is safe and secure. By visiting the Lime Wire Websites or installing the Program, you are accepting the terms set forth in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, do not visit the Lime Wire Websites or download and install the Program.
The User Information We Collect and How We Use It
Your User Information helps us personalize and continually improve your user experience. Depending on how you use the Lime Wire Websites, the Program or other Lime Wire products and services, we may collect the following User Information from you:
- Information You Give Us: We receive and store any Personally-Identifiable Information you give us in any way, for example, by telephone or email, or when you register for or purchase the Lime Wire Program or other products, or communicate with customer service or support. Such Personally-Identifiable Information may include, for example, your name, address, phone numbers, credit card information, stated reason for requesting Customer or Technical Support, or the contents of any electronic communications. We use the information you provide for such purposes as responding to your requests, customizing your user experience, improving the Program, and communicating with you, but it may also be used to analyze trends, administer the site, track user problems and contribute to the gathering of broad demographic information for anonymous aggregate use.
- Information We Collect: We receive and store certain types of User Information whenever you interact with the Lime Wire Websites , the Program or other Lime Wire products and services, for example, information about your computer’s connection to the Internet, the Gnutella peer-to-peer network, and other users of the Gnutella peer-to-peer network; computer and connection information such as browser or Program type, version, and time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system, and platform; information about your visits to, interactions with or use of the Lime Wire Websites, the Program or other products and services, for example the frequency and manner in which you use the Program or products as well as Program or product performance and operations, and your responses to the offerings and advertisements presented to you. We will only use this data (i) on an aggregated basis with that of other users for general business purposes, such as: site analysis and ad sales; operating and improving the Lime Wire Websites, the Program or other products and services (for example, fighting spam and improving the functionality of the Program); identifying or remediating possible threats to your safety, security, privacy, or to your computer’s security, and (ii) in combination with data we collect or that you give us relative to your use of the Lime Wire Websites, the Program or other products and services, in order to help us personalize your own experience with the Lime Wire Websites, the Program or other products and services, and for other service-related purposes. Users should be aware that whenever they use the Internet both static and dynamic IP addresses can be mapped back to users on most ISPs based on the user’s login time and recorded information.
- Cookies: Like many web sites, we use "cookies" to enable our systems to recognize your browser and to improve the services we provide to you. We do not use cookies to track your surfing habits and activities outside of our web sites. Cookies can be easily and safely deleted from your system (see your browser's help section for instructions). You can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set. If you choose not to allow us to place a cookie on your hard drive, you may be restricted from some pages and services on the Lime Wire Websites.
- Search Queries: As with all programs that connect you to public peer-to-peer based networks ("P2P Network(s)"), it is possible for your search queries (i.e., the word or phrase that you search for) to be viewed or "listened" to by other users accessing the P2P Network. This is true of all programs that enable access to P2P Networks. When you input a search query into the Program, Lime Wire may in certain instances listen to or collect this search query.
- GUID: A Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) is an alphanumeric identifier used to indicate a unique installation of a product, and is found in many popular software applications such as web browsers and media players. Lime Wire uses GUIDs for aggregate statistical analysis and to personalize its products and services.
- Instant Messaging: Lime Wire does not read your private online communications when you use communications tools in the Program. Please remember, however, that if you use these tools to disclose information about yourself publicly (for example, in public chat forums or online message boards on or connected to our web sites), other online users may obtain access to any information you provide. Use of third-party Instant Messaging services, platforms or applications (such as Gmail™) is subject to the terms and policies of the third-party service provider. Lime Wire is not responsible for the privacy practices of such third-parties.
Does Lime Wire Share the Information It Collects?
Lime Wire does not sell or rent to others, share with others or otherwise disclose to others User Information except as set forth herein. We may share User Information with subsidiaries or affiliates under common ownership or control with Lime Wire LLC and that are subject to this Privacy Policy or follow practices at least as protective as those described in this Privacy Policy. We may, at our election and without further notice to you, share the User Information we collect with our partners and advertisers. In such cases, the information will be presented in an anonymous manner that is not linked to any Personally-Identifiable Information that can identify any individual person. Additionally Lime Wire may share information as follows:
- Business Transfers: In the event that ownership of Lime Wire was to change for any reason, your User Information may be transferred.
- Protection of Lime Wire and Others: We release account and other User Information when we believe its release is appropriate to comply with or assist law enforcement or legal process; enforce or apply our End User License Agreement and other agreements; or protect the rights, property, or safety of Lime Wire, our users, or others. This does not include selling, renting, sharing, or otherwise disclosing User Information for commercial purposes in violation of the commitments set forth in this Privacy Policy.
- With Your Consent: Other than as set out above, you will receive notice when your Personally-Identifiable Information might go to third parties, and we will provide notice about the choices you have to decline to permit such a transfer.
How Secure is Information About You?
To help protect Personally-Identifiable Information in Lime Wire’s possession, we use a variety of appropriate safeguards, including:
- Technical, administrative, and physical controls.
- Authorization systems.
- Agreements with contractors and vendors requiring them to protect the confidentiality, safety, and security of your user information.
Lime Wire has established these safeguards to help prevent unauthorized access to or misuse of your User Information, but cannot guarantee that your User Information will never be disclosed in a manner inconsistent with this Privacy Policy (for example, as a result of unauthorized acts by third parties that violate applicable law or the policies of Lime Wire and its affiliates).
The LimeWire Store
The Program enables direct access to the LimeWire Store (located at www.store.limewire.com). The LimeWire Store is a digital music store that allows you to purchase DRM-free music directly from Lime Wire. You download the music directly from Lime Wire’s secure servers, and we guarantee its quality. Use of the LimeWire Store requires you to accept additional, separate terms of service and agree to an additional, separate privacy policy. Lime Wire may use the information you give us or the information we collect about you from the Lime Wire Websites and the Program in conjunction with information we collect through your use of the LimeWire Store to, among other things, improve and personalize your Lime Wire user experience.
Links
The LimeWire Websites and the Program may include third-party advertising or contain and generate links to other sites and IP addresses. We do not provide any Personally-Identifiable Information to these advertisers or third-party websites.
Please be aware that Lime Wire is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other third-party websites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site or link to outside IP addresses and to read the privacy statements of each and every website and IP address that collects personally identifiable information. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected in connection with your use of the Lime Wire Websites and the Program.
How to Contact Us
If you have any questions about the Lime Wire Privacy Policy or its implementation, or if you have a concern or policy violation you wish to report, you may contact us at the email address . For all questions or concerns not specifically related to this Privacy Policy please visit our contact form.
Notification of Changes
Lime Wire reserves the right to change, update or revise the terms of this Policy, and/or impose new conditions, policies or additional rules. If we decide to change our Privacy Policy, we will post those changes on our web site. Any such changes, together with the remainder of any unaltered version of this Privacy Policy will constitute Lime Wire's Privacy Policy at the time of such notice and will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued use of the Lime Wire Websites or the Program following posting or notification of any such changes shall serve as your acceptance of these changes and agreement to the revised Privacy Policy.