Why torrenting is legal

We are reader supported and sometimes earn a commission if you buy through a link on our site. T orrenting is a massively popular method to download the latest movies, TV series, music, books, games — you name it. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to download and share files! Normally, when you download a movie or video to your device, you press the download link and your computer connects to the server of the file for the download to start.

Torrenting works differently compared to this method of downloading files. Instead of downloading a file from one server, torrent software applications such as BitTorrent or uTorrent connect to a large number of other computers based on the principle of peer-to-peer P2P file sharing. Torrent software allows you to download small pieces of a file from every computer in the P2P network.

Before the existence of P2P torrent networks , copyrighted files were stored on a single server. Websites hosting copyrighted material on a server were easily traced by government institutions and shut down. You are a leecher when you download a file, plain and simple. However, most torrent software disallows users to disable the upload limit entirely.

In other words, you become a seeder. Note: The torrent software automatically enables uploading the file until you manually switch it off. The question applies to two different areas. First, is the actual process of torrenting safe for your computer in terms of malware?

To begin with, the process of torrenting is pretty safe. Before downloading a torrent, I recommend reading the comments and reviews from the community. Still, you should always be cautious when it comes to downloading torrents.

However, there are also a lot of perfectly legal torrents out there, and we want to make sure you know what people do to stay safe when attempting to download and share these files. Staying safe while browsing the internet is one of the most important things you can do, hence we advise the use of a VPN no matter what you do online.

Torrenting is a way to share content over the internet using a torrent client to become part of a P2P network.

Torrenting works by using a tracker file to find other people seeding and leeching a certain piece of media. The act of torrenting is perfectly legal in most countries. However, if people torrent content that is copyright protected, then the act of torrenting such files is usually illegal.

Also feel free to ask us a question in the comments. Seeders are the people who are sending packets of a file to people that want to download that particular torrent.

There are tips and tricks you can apply to marginally increase your download speed, but when you boil it down, your internet speed matters the most. That being said, you can try to download trackers from the best torrent sites list that have a high download speed. Yes, in certain countries you can. Torrenting, in general, is not illegal, but downloading copyrighted content is, which can land you in troubled waters with your ISP, or even with the law.

They only go after the owners of torrent sites. A Comprehensive Guide. By: Theodor Porutiu Reading time: 10 minutes Update: Read this summary if you want the general gist of it! What is torrenting: a really small crash course.

Torrenting also has a few components: A tracker, which is a small file that holds information about the file you want to download, information like who else has the file? Torrenting websites, which are basically collections of trackers. Torrenting clients, which are software that opens your tracker and ties your computer to other people who have the file you want.

ExpressVPN Our pick. Our pick. Some research studies show that majority of the people will download music daily. But again this looks like a pitfall trap if you are free to download everything and no one cares.

Switzerland is the safest place for torrenting. This country has several privacy laws in favor of people. Switzerland made torrenting available and it is not legal there for third-party members to spy on a person. Here I categorized every torrent site based on the content they offer.

You can have a quick look at which one to use. So, far you have seen the countries where torrenting is legal. It is a very simple procedure to access these torrent sites legally. You will need VPN s to help to access this site. It is always recommended to use a VPN. If you are someone who needs more security this one also offers Onion over VPN. You will also get six simultaneous connections per subscription along with Netflix streaming ability.

NordVPN is considered an all-rounder with fast internet speeds. This VPN is available at a competitive price. Also, they are offering 30 days of the money-back guarantee program. So you can try this without any risk. Consider using ExpressVPN if you want high encryption along with security, this would be a great choice. Since this is based on the British Virgin Islands, which has no data retention laws. The company will not keep the data and no third-party users can request them.

If you want then there is a hidden page for low price subscriptions. IPVanish shines on supporting Torrenting on Android devices, tablets and various other platfroms. They have also included leak protection along with standard bit encryption and OpenVPN protocol. Ultimately, Torrenting is legal in most of the world. Start torrenting after connecting to the countries where torrenting is legal. The following events can be a bit more complicated to digest including court trials and fines.

Even though the woman is yet to pay the fines but the point to note is, you cannot afford to torrent without VPN because if you do so, your real identity will be exposed online and companies could track you down to take any possible action against you. Copyright trolls, as well as government agents, have their eyes open around torrent networks as well as the popular sites that host torrent files. In fact, a plethora of folks has fallen into the wrong hands of the law in various countries for torrenting.

So yes, you can get caught while torrenting and if it is illegal in your country , you may be charged with a fine or even prison sentence. All you have to do is to disable seeding that will stop your PC from uploading the files to the torrent network.

Moreover, you can configure the onion routing network Tor as a proxy for your torrent client. Unfortunately, Tor has recently become a target for illegal activity, although the network is still secure with little incidents of spy bodies that attack individual computers, making it not as anonymous as before.

While prosecution for torrenting has been high, the chances of paying a settlement or even going to court are merely low. You could be sued for a huge amount of money. However, the consequences of downloading torrent files will depend on a particular country. Some countries have laws against downloading copyrighted content but are not enforced.

Then they log upload as well as download times, amounts together with the speeds of every IP address connected. They will then approach a copyright holder, sign a deal to let them take legal action. In fact, mostly some specialists are even hired by Hollywood production directly to sniff the pirates out.

The copyright trolls will then reach out to you by email or to your door and hand out a settlement letter, which is not a legally binding document or injunction. What copyright trolls use is intimidation, fear, and shame to ensure that you pay without even thinking about the court. Therefore, in case you receive such a letter or intimidation, you should not give in. Therefore, if your ISP contacts you, that more likely is because the copyright troll does not have your actual identity yet.

Also, you should be aware that in case you respond to the letter , you could be revealing your identity that could give a copyright troll more power. They only play a probability game by sending a plethora of emails, and those who reveal their identity are targeted. For instance, your ISP has the power of throttling your internet connection , while others might work with the copyright trolls by timely submitting your personal information.

Torrenting takes a lot of bandwidth, which costs ISPs money. Also, ISPs could receive kickbacks from the content owners as well as their associates.

As much as the situation could seem dire, common-sense precautions have saved many torrent fans from the world of hurt. Using the best torrent-friendly VPN has proved to be the best way to torrent while keeping safe.

But how do VPNs benefit secure torrent downloads? BitTorrent could land you in trouble in some countries, and even if torrenting is legal in your region, there still might be some hidden dangers such as malware ; and hence, bolstering your online security should be your priority. Using a top-notch VPN for torrents is the best way to do it, but unfortunately, not all the VPNs even if everyone advertises to be so will provide you with the protection you need while BitTorrent.

Therefore, when choosing the best VPN for torrenting , your pick must have the following features;. A quality VPN offers more than merely providing you with protection while torrenting because it also boasts other advantages such as enabling you to avoid censorship while traveling abroad, bypass geo-blocking , escape data-throttling and assert your right to internet privacy to name a few.

It was during the s that torrent downloads incidents spiked with several folks getting into the wrong side of the law. Since then, torrenting has taken another route whereby the fight to do away with it is being tightened each day. But still, little indicates that such efforts are indeed affecting at all.

In fact, torrent programs such as BitTorrent are even more popular than ever. Your guess is as good as mine, given what a VPN can offer for torrents. However, BitTorrenting without a VPN is undoubtedly dangerous and rest-assured it more likely will keep getting menacing. Unfortunately, depending on your location, just like using BitTorrent can be illegal, a VPN can be considered equally unlawful or you might find it to be banned.

Nevertheless, with several identities looking to put an end to torrenting forever, how long it will be around is something that only time will tell. Given the copyright trolls that could be watching, you simply need to be smart and privacy-oriented torrenter.