Original LimeWire founder says he’s ‘not thrilled’ about NFT-style relaunch
Following reports that the noughties relic LimeWire is set to relaunch as a NFT marketplace, the original founder Mark Gorton has come out to say he is “not thrilled” by this development.
In an interview with the publication TorrentFreak, Gorton said: “I was not approached about this NFT project, and I didn’t hear about it until the public announcement”.
“I am not thrilled about an unrelated group of people using the LimeWire name. Using the LimeWire name in this way creates confusion and falsely uses that brand that we created for purposes for which it was never intended,” Gorton added.
Gorton’s LimeWire was best known as a P2P file-sharing platform, but the site was closed down more than a decade ago.
However, a new LimeWire is being relaunched by Julian and Paul Zehetmayr – who are also behind a number of other online companies, including Eversign and Stack Holdings.
Julian Zehetmayr, LimeWire Co-CEO, said in a statement announcing the company’s relaunch: “In an increasingly difficult industry with streaming taking over and ownership taking a back seat, we are working to give artists full flexibility and control when it comes to their content. It’s important to note that we are not relaunching LimeWire as an alternative to streaming platforms, but rather as an additional channel for artists to sell exclusive music and art directly to collectors. We will also offer a unique method for artists to connect and engage with their most loyal community of fans.”
According to reports from Bloomberg, they’ve spent “most of last year steadily acquiring the various parts of LimeWire’s branding”.
The new LimeWire will use the Limewire.com domain name, and will be framed as a music-focused NFT marketplace.
It aims to make onboarding easy for NFT newbies, with a quick and easy signup, seamless Know Your Customer process and items priced in US dollars.
There is no crypto wallet prerequisite, and users will be able to purchase collectibles directly via credit card, bank transfer and other fiat gateways thanks to a close partnership with payment platform Wyre. The marketplace itself is designed to have an intuitive, state-of-the-art user experience and a more natural and familiar feel to the average consumer.
Gorton told TorrentFreak: “I think it’s a bit risky to say that LimeWire ‘is back’, the NFT project has got nothing to do with the original”.