Is Torrenting Illegal, Consequences and How to Avoid

Torrenting websites like Pirate Bay and uTorrent have been attracting many internet users to upload and download media. It includes files like music, movies, TV shows and other files for free. Although everyone does it, it doesn’t mean it’s completely legal. Therefore torrent users can end up paying huge penalties for illegal activities. In this article, you will learn why is torrenting illegal, what are the consequences of torrenting and how to avoid penalties of illegal downloading by using a VPN service.

Illeagal Torrenting

Is torrenting Illegal?

Nowadays many people use torrents to download movies and music online. But how many people actually think “is torrenting illegal?”In general, there is nothing wrong with downloading and uploading files online. Therefore by right torrenting isn’t illegal. However, it is illegal to share files that are copyrighted. This means that if you have purchased a digital file of a movie, you aren’t allowed to share it with other people online. As you don’t have a license to upload the file, then you can get in trouble by doing it so and a user who’s trying to download the file can get a penalty by downloading it.

However, it is illegal to upload and download content files that are copyrighted. This means that if you purchase a digital file of a movie, then by regulations you can’t share it with other people online. As you don’t have a license to upload the file, then you can get in trouble by doing it so. Also, a user who’s trying to download the file can get a penalty by downloading it.

However, some countries don’t have strict laws against intellectual property pirates.

What are consequences of torrenting?

Depending on a country there are different consequences of getting caught torrenting and sharing copyrighted content online. However, most of the countries have fairly similar regulations. But depending on a quantity of uploaded or downloaded file size you could be charged a different fine.

There are also some extreme cases. For example, in Hong Kong, back in 2005 a man who violated copyright by uploading a file using a BitTorrent was jailed for four years.

Most likely, you know many people who have been using torrenting platforms to upload and download copyrighted content. However, they haven’t been caught in action, but torrenting is illegal and can cause serious consequences if caught in action. 

Use a VPN service to torrent

If you are not still convinced and would like to upload and download free content using torrents, then you should get a VPN service that encrypts your traffic and makes your online identity anonymous. 

Some of the best VPN providers offer features like DNS leak protection, IPV6 leak protection and tunneling traffics. It’s important to use these features along with a VPN service cause your ISP can still use its DNS servers to spy on your internet actions.

The best VPN for torrenting

There are plenty of VPN providers out there. They declare to provide perfect solutions and features for secure torrenting, however not all of them can fulfill the demand. 

Some of the best VPNs for torrenting are ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Ivacy VPN. All of these providers offer features that make uploading and downloading of copyrighted materials online secure. 

Download anonymously

If you choose to go with other VPN service provider, then you should familiarize yourself with its privacy policy about torrents. Also, it is important to find out how many servers they have dedicated for torrenting. Do they offer kill switch option which automatically disconnects the internet in case of VPN connection loss? And make sure that the VPN provider allows unlimited download bandwidth. 

Conclusion

If you are using torrents to download or upload copyrighted content without any encryption tool, then you can get caught in action and feel the consequences of illegal torrents. There are various tools that allow you to secure your internet traffic for safe and anonymous file exchange online. The best solution is a VPN service. The best VPN for torrenting include VPN providers that offer DNS leak protection, IPV6 leak protection and tunneling traffics.

Look for an ExpressVPN, NordVPN or IvacyVPN to protect your online identity and keep anonymous when downloading or uploading files on torrents.

For a full list of the best VPN service providers that will keep you anonymous when downloading and uploading legal copyrighted files, please check out Best VPN for Anonymous Browsing and Torrenting.

Author: Inga

I’m a freelance writer living in Canada. Highly interested in topics on technology, online surveillance, and censorship. Love traveling and outdoor activities.

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