This just hit the wires: A judge has thrown out an antitrust lawsuit filed by P2P client maker LimeWire against the four major music groups. From the AP:

"Lime Group had claimed the record labels sought to monopolize the online distribution of music and refused to license their works to the company in an effort to put it out of business.

The firm contended it sought to reach an agreement with the labels so that it could field a licensed music service, but the record labels refused to broker a deal, insisting it use a filtering system approved by the labels or reach an agreement with iMesh Inc., a rival file-sharing service that has been operating with the blessing of record labels since settling a copyright infringement case in 2004.

(Judge) Lynch concluded Lime Group didn't show any facts to suggest the record companies' actions were 'anything other than independent decision-making by each company to refrain from doing business' with Lime Wire. ...

Lynch also rejected claims by Lime Group that the record labels had engaged in unfair business practices, including hacking the firm's file-sharing network and claiming it promotes child pornography, on the grounds that the alleged actions were not anticompetitive."

Bonus reading: An article on LimeWire's October 2006 countersuit. "LimeWire’s complaint stated it was extremely difficult to negotiate with the music industry, which LimeWire felt took an uncooperative position. If LimeWire wanted to comply, it would have to conform to a standard similar to iMesh – which in LimeWire’s opinion is and was uncompetitive. Indeed, LimeWire’s counterclaim becomes hostile against iMesh, claiming it has an unusually close working relationship with the RIAA."