iMesh has launched a beta version of its legal P2P application. The website claims "the world's fastest downloads with no spyware or adware."

At the Future of Music Summit, the RIAA's Cary Sherman was blown away by a demo of iMesh. (Read Coolfer's post on the panel discussion here.) He liked the social networking aspect of the demo.

More:

• Yesterday Red Herring had an article on the iMesh beta. "Though it’s a few years behind other online music offerings, iMesh has the advantage of an existing user base of about 100 million. It also has a leg up on other lifetime P2P services, which are still mired in legal woes. iMesh is the first major network to convert to a legal service authorized by the major labels."
• Slyck on iMesh: "Today, iMesh has released version 6.0. It marks the first time a once free application transitioned to a pay P2P service. The new iMesh service will have two components. The first is a free element that will connect to the Gnutella network. The other component will download Microsoft DRM (Digital Rights Management) files from a central server and a proprietary P2P network. The service will function much like “Napster to Go” or “Rhapsody to Go.” For $6.95 a month, the user can rent an unlimited amount of music from the iMesh service. Once the subscription runs out or the individual cancels the service, the music magically disappears."