Torrenting’s legal status depends on the country where you are currently in. However, people still ask what if they get caught while torrenting. So the answer to this question again depends on the country. But, you can eliminate your chances of getting caught using a reliable torrenting VPN like NordVPN and some safety measures.
Torrents fall into the grey area since it is not the act itself that is illegal but the content you download. Due to its P2P-based nature, torrenting is a reliable file-share method for many open-source software and hardware firms, making the activity legal. The legality concern with torrenting arises when used to share copyrighted content.
Since most commercially produced songs, videos, movies, and even books are copyrighted, torrenting is famously considered illegal in most countries. Many privacy-centric netizens use VPNs to get past torrenting privacy and ISP throttling issues. However, when it comes to the question of “what happens when you get caught while torrenting,” there are several things that you need to consider and look into.
How can you get caught while torrenting?
ISPs, copyright agencies, and the government constantly search for torrent users. The copyrighted trolls or their representatives visit the sharing sites you have used. They will download some material to check where the IP address is coming from. Next, they look for the internet service provider who provides that IP address and contact them by saying some IP addresses share illegal materials. We want to warn them for doing so.
The service provider will then look for the IPs and check the accounts. They will first send warning letters to the account holders. But if this sharing activity continues, the copyright trolls will seek a court order to force your service providers to provide your account details. They will also comply with their lawyers to send a legal notice to you. But if ignored, you will be dragged to legal court for further proceedings and action.
Things that can happen when you get caught torrenting
Getting caught while torrenting may hit you harder than purchasing the content at the original price. Below are the things that can happen when you get caught torrenting any copyrighted movie, music, TV show, or some other stuff:
Civil disobedience
The Copyright Act of 1976 covers illegal downloading and streaming of copyrighted stuff. Under this act, people are prohibited from copying, republishing, or using other works without the permission of copyright trolls. Copyright infringements are implemented through civil suits where the owner takes legal action for monetary damages.
Technological advancements have made it easy to share information and files. In this situation, the copyright trolls now antagonistically target sites like ThePirateBay. The copyright owners can’t shut down the sites where the files are shared and target the file sharers separately.
They not only target individuals but also go after big companies. For example, more than 30 people were charged for torrenting “Dallas Buyers Club”; moreover, Lionsgate fined 10 people for sharing “Expendables.”
Piracy
The price of illegal downloading or streaming material can be a bit high. The Federal Copyright Law agrees for damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per work. For example, one man sued for $675,000 for downloading 30 songs, while another woman was fined $1.9 million for downloading 24 songs.
If the charges are not enough of a warning, then some jurisdictions apply criminal punishments for online piracy. Consult an experienced intellectual property attorney if anyone is charged with copyright violations.
Cases where people get caught downloading torrents
Copyright trolls get help from agencies to search for people who download copyrighted content. They receive the IP address details from the service providers and take legal action against them. The victims have shared their experiences and stories on Reddit as they were caught while torrenting.
Some victims have just received a legal notice to consult a lawyer, but further proceedings are upheld. However, some victims are sued for torrenting.
A victim shared that his cousin was sued for $80 per song for downloading a 12-song album. Also, another woman from Minnesota was charged $80,000 per song for downloading 24 songs.
In the United Kingdom, the fine for copyright violation depends on the seriousness of the case. In severe cases, it can often lead to an appearance before the magistrate where the penalty is up to £5,000 or six months of incarceration. However, in extreme cases, the culprit might be sent to the Crown Court, which can enforce an unlimited fine and imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Where is torrenting legal and illegal?
Torrenting is not necessarily illegal because it is simply a method of P2P sharing of torrent files. Therefore, accessing torrenting websites or downloading torrents is considered legal in most countries.
However, downloading unauthorized copyrighted content is illegal. How the materials of respective torrent files breach copyright laws differs per country. For example, it is illegal to download, upload, or share copyrighted content in the UK, New Zealand, the US, Australia, and most EU countries.
Unfortunately, most major torrenting websites collect and share copyrighted materials. Therefore, to be safe and avoid legal trouble, you should only download movies, TV shows, and music from the public domain.
Furthermore, the Universal Copyright Convention and Berne Convention are the most popular global treaties on copyright that obligate member countries to enforce all copyright laws and prosecute anybody who violates them.
What is the penalty for torrenting?
The consequences of torrenting copyrighted content also vary by country. You may face a momentary ban, a warning message, a slower internet connection, a small fine, or legal action. Some countries have extreme punishments, and you could end up in prison with a long sentence.
The USA uses a three-strike system for anyone seized torrenting any copyright materials. Content creators may also file a lawsuit, and if found guilty, they can be fined up to $250,000 or imprisoned for at least 5 years.
Below are the countries and their punishments for torrenting
| Country | Torrenting Punishment |
| UK | Up to 5 years in prison and a £5000 fine |
| Australia | A fine |
| US | Up to $250,000 fine and at least five years in prison |
| Other EU States | Three strike rule with possible internet ban, prison sentences, and a fine of between €300 to €1000. |
| Egypt | Between LE10,000 to LE20,000 fine and a minimum of three months prison sentence |
| Colombia | Up to $327,000 fine and eight years in prison |
| Brazil | A Fine and three months to a year prison sentence |
| Japan | Up to ¥2 million fine and up to 2 years in prison |
| South Korea | A 3-strike system with up to six months internet ban. |
| Romania | Up to four years prison sentence |
| South Africa | Up to R10,000 fine and up to 5 years prison term |
| New Zealand | 3-strike rule with up to NZ$15,000 Fine |
| Germany | A Fine of €3000 |
| France | Up to €300,000 fine and not less than three years prison sentence |
Tips on how to torrent safely
Here are some tips based on our tests that will surely help you to torrent without getting caught:
Use a VPN
Another way to download torrents without getting caught is to use a reliable VPN provider. Using a VPN is one of the most handy tools for downloading torrents. It routes all your data traffic via a remote server located in a country of your choice. In this way, a VPN hides your IP address, adds a significant anonymity layer, and makes it difficult for copyright trolls to track you.
Moreover, a VPN also encrypts your torrent traffic before leaving the system. Your ISP can’t monitor your online activities. All your internet traffic first goes through the VPN server, thus making it impossible for the ISPs to know where it is going.
Avoid open communities
While torrenting, the IP address is shared with various other users who help you finish the downloading by sending you the chunks of the file they have already downloaded. You also send them your pieces, and everyone has a complete file. The copyright owners look for illegal downloading. They might also search for your IP address and contact you if needed.
The public tracking sites are open to everyone and don’t verify the user’s identity. Moreover, there are no restrictions on the downloading material, making it easy for the company to jump in and grab some IPs.
However, private torrent trackers offer extra protection by first requiring users to register. Therefore, it is suggested that users avoid open communities and opt for public trackers.
Read comments
Every reliable and trusted torrent site has a separate section for user comments on the download page. Read and scan these comments carefully before downloading any material. If you find anything doubtful or the torrent has no comments, it is good to avoid it.
Block bad IPs
Different companies are joining torrent sites on downloads to take hold of the IPs; their IP address is also becoming available. However, by downloading and installing a free program called PeerGuardian2, you can avoid them by blocking lousy IP addresses from connecting you.
Caps your uploads
If you want not to get caught while torrenting, it’s better not to seed and cap your uploads. By stopping the client’s seeding bandwidth, you can efficiently take yourself off the radar of several copyright owners.
Use secure torrent clients
Using a secure torrent client can reduce the dangers of torrenting. It enables users to share torrent files with all globally connected peers powered by the same protocol. The torrent clients help you safely and quickly download torrent files by maintaining your online privacy.
They come with impressive features that result in a quick and secure torrenting experience. A torrent client prevents your ISP from tracking your activities and protects your device from malware and adware invasion.
Can your ISP catch you torrenting with a VPN?
A VPN service allows you to torrent privately and safely without the risk of being compromised. However, if any of the following incidents occur while torrenting with a VPN, you may get caught:
If a VPN lacks torrenting support
Some ordinary VPN users may be unaware that not all VPN providers support torrenting. It would be best if you avoided free VPNs because they do not support torrenting, they log your data, have weak encryption, and offers slow connection speeds.
It is best to use a reliable VPN service, such as ExpressVPN, which fully supports torrenting and provides advanced privacy and security features. Moreover, it should support port-forwarding and have sufficient VPN servers to guarantee fast and stable connections.
IP leaks
This occurs when a VPN fails to safeguard your new IP address comprehensively. A VPN may leak a small amount of your data, which is enough to reveal your connection to your ISP and other third parties. Therefore, select a trustworthy VPN service that can conceal your IP address throughout your connections. Furthermore, the VPN service should offer features like a kill switch to turn off web traffic if the VPN connection drops.
VPN logs
A reliable VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. VPNs that record logs can share your data with copyright trolls and ISPs, risking your online privacy and security because they can view your online activities.
Streaming vs. torrenting
Most people today prefer streaming video content on their web browsers or via customized platforms like Kodi to downloading content through BitTorrent. Regarding security, streaming pirated content involves the same risks as torrenting, such as phishing threats, intrusive ads, and malware.
Streaming unlawful content from a piracy site may still be considered illegal, depending on your country. For example, it is illegal in the UK, legal in India, and still a gray area in the US because no one has been charged for streaming copyrighted materials.
Moreover, it is difficult for law enforcers and copyright trolls to catch you while streaming content. This is because streaming sends videos from a site to your gadget without involving third parties, unlike downloading torrents, which allows you to see the IP addresses of everyone you are downloading from or uploading to.
However, the streaming website may be logging your data, and they may be obligated to share it with copyright trolls or authorities. In addition, your ISP can monitor your activities and see that you are streaming pirated content. Fortunately, this can be avoided by using a reliable VPN service like NordVPN.
Share this article
About the Author
Hasnain Khalid is a passionate streaming and security enthusiast, who has proved his expertise on renowned tech publishers. With a keen eye for online safety and a love for all strеaming matters, Hasnain combinеs his еxpеrtisе to navigatе thе digital world with confidеncе and providе valuablе insights to usеrs worldwidе.
More from Hasnain KhalidRelated Posts
Torrent Privacy Risks: How to Torrent Safely and Anonymously?
KEY TAKEAWAYS Anything related to the internet comes with cybersecurity risks. Torrenting is one of ...
21 Best Torrent Search Engines in 2024 (100% Working)
KEY TAKEAWAYS The best Torrent search engines work to provide reliable torrent links. However, torre...
12 Best Torrent9 Alternatives in 2024
KEY TAKEAWAYS Torrenting with your original IP address can cost low-speed Internet speed, called ISP...
10 Best Torrent Apps for Android in 2024 (100% Working)
KEY TAKEAWAYS If you’re looking to find out the torrent apps for your smartphone, then have a ...
20 Best ExtraTorrent Alternatives For Torrenting in 2024
KEY TAKEAWAYS Finding a reliable ExtraTorrent alternative might be challenging for most users. There...
20 Best Kickass Torrents Alternatives in 2024
KEY TAKEAWAYS After thorough testing and research, these are the top 20 best Kickass Torrent alterna...
