- Is It Ok To Download Torrent In America Full
- Is It Ok To Download Torrent In America Full
- Download Torrent For Pc
- Kickasstorrents
Anyone who knows their way around the internet realizes that snagging a movie or pricey software bundle at no cost is only a torrent away. That presents more than a moral dilemma. There is also online safety to consider and whether torrenting will draw attention from the authorities.
First of all, the activity of torrenting is not inherently illegal. The technology is simply a way to share content online. Where you can get into trouble is hosting, downloading or distributing copyright protected files. That includes most popular movies, music and software.
If you do that, you’ve stolen something as surely as if you walked into the local Walmart and sprinted out moments later with DVDs falling out of your pockets with a security guard in half-hearted pursuit.
As to whether it’s safe and the likelihood of getting caught, the answers are “not completely” and “there’s a chance.” Let’s talk about torrenting a bit before we see how legal or illegal it is. If you’re currently having trouble accessing P2P sites, you may want to check out our article on how to unblock torrent sites.
The Torrenting Process
Torrenting differs from regular downloading in one critical way. Rather than pulling an entire file from a single server, torrenting — also called bittorrenting — uses a peer-to-peer file sharing approach in which specialized software grabs small pieces of the file from dozens, maybe hundreds, of computers all over the world and assembles them into a full version.
Here are the best torrent sites still up and running. The best torrent sites 2018 1) The Pirate Bay. A meta-search engine for torrents, Torrentz searched large groups of other torrent sites.
A lack of centralized servers makes it hard to find and shut down any single host computer involved in criminal activity, but there are also legitimate reasons to use the P2P protocol, One is that the process can be faster than direct downloading, without overburdening servers. Despite it being synonymous with copyright violations, the bottom line is that simply using a P2P network does not make you a criminal.
We’re going to detail how President Bill Clinton’s signature on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act changed the copyright landscape in 1998. The legislation gave copyright holders, often music labels and film studios, a legal strategy with which to successfully pursue lawsuits against torrent operators, users and, sometimes, innocent bystanders.
Legal Problems for Torrenters
Whether engaged in illegal activity or not, the fact that so many lawsuits have targeted torrenting might make you rethink the wisdom of using a P2P network. Copyright holders have been relentless in pursuing actual and perceived violators with varying degrees of success.
The Hosts
Sometimes, torrenting operations try to take refuge behind the idea that copyright violation complaints should be targeted at users. Operators have long claimed to be nothing more than innocent cloud storage providers. One case involved Hotfile, a popular file-sharing website in 2011, against which a group of major film studios filed a lawsuit.
At the time of filing, the defendant had received more than 10 million takedown notices for hosted content, but paid little attention. Too much money was at stake. With thousands of users receiving at least three takedown notices, it was difficult for the service to argue that it had implemented a strict “repeat infringer” policy.
The day before a jury trial was set to begin, Hotfile settled the case for $80 million. Megaupload and Grooveshark were two more renegade torrent services targeted in the aftermath of the DMCA.
The Innocent Bystander
There are also examples of people getting caught in their internet service provider’s rush to turn over account information related to the IP addresses of alleged pirates — except many weren’t customers when the copyright violations occurred.
Since IP addresses are recycled from departing to arriving customers, it seems to be a case of simple misfortune, not bad behavior.
A Minnesota woman was one such case, when the prevailing anti-piracy strategy included lawsuits against individuals instead of file hosts. After downloading 1,700 songs illegally, her error in judgment in rejecting a $4,500 settlement offer was followed by a court judgment against her that started at a $1.5 million fine and ultimately landed at $220,000.
The Artful Dodger
No entity has enjoyed (suffered) more time in the torrenting limelight than The Pirate Bay. Founded in 2003, this file sharing champ has racked up millions of dollars in default judgments to date and jail time for it founders due to copyright infringements, though it seems to have no intention of paying and the website continues to operate.
It is, however, being chased from server farm to server farm, while colleague KickassTorrents has been shut down completely. All this seems to do is encourage alternative torrent sites to spring up, so this fight is far from over.
Stay Safe While Torrenting
If you torrent with a standard connection, it’s easy for others to track you through your IP address. In addition to potential legal action from copyright holders, ISPs have been sending warning letters to customers who visit torrenting sites and may even throttle connection speed as punishment.
If you plan to take the plunge and wonder if there is a safe way to do it, we’d advise you to go with a liberal interpretation of the word “safe.” You could use a virtual private network, which is still legal, though for how long is anyone’s guess (read our best VPN for torrenting article). Another option is to use cloud torrenting, which seems fairly promising.
However, even then a VPN is a smart investment. A provider creates an encrypted data connection that, for all practical purposes, renders your location invisible to anyone trying to snoop. The trick is to find a VPN provider that doesn’t log client activity and is located outside the participating countries in the Five Eyes: the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
Final Thoughts
With the act of visiting a torrenting website considered suspicious behavior, proceed at your own risk. Copyright violations can result in serious fines and imprisonment, though in general the threats are worse than reality. That said, you never know when you’ll become the rule rather than the exception.
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If you want to explore the world of VPNs a bit further, check out our article on the best VPN options. Do you have thoughts on or experiences with torrenting? We’d love to hear them in the comments below. Thanks for reading.
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Despite the popularity of streaming, downloading remains an oft-used means of procuring content. Primarily, torrents offer the best means of downloading, but Usenet is a seasoned method as well. While torrenting is not inherently illicit, many of the top torrent sites don’t separate legal from illegal content. Searching for completely legal downloads? Check out the best legal torrenting sites 2018! [Read: 12 best torrent sites in 2018]
Is It Ok To Download Torrent In America Full
Table of Contents
- Top legal torrent sites 2018
- 7. Vodo
Legal torrent websites in 2018: A word on legality
There’s no shortage of torrents available online. Although torrenting itself is completely legal, it’s often associated with piracy. But it’s what you download that dictates legality. With legal torrent sites, you’ll benefit from tons of legitimate movies, TV shows, games, and more. [Read: Complete Usenet guide: What is Usenet, Usenet vs Torrents, downloading files]
Don’t expect major releases though. Often, you’ll find public domain media, open-source software, and indie projects. Still, there’s loads of quality material available legally and freely via torrent download.
Is It Ok To Download Torrent In America Full
3 Best Standalone Bittorrent Downloaders:
Top legal torrent sites 2018
1. Public Domain Torrents
Find tons of awesome public domain torrents
As the name suggests, Public Domain Torrents consists of movies and TV shows in the public domain. Here, you’ll find a ton of older videos, from “Plan 9 From Outer Space” to Dario Argento giallo classic “Deep Red.” For each movie or TV show, there are several download options from high quality DVD resolution to mobile device optimized alternatives. It’s divided by category for ease of navigation.
Public Domain Torrents was the first torrent site I ever used after discovering BitTorrent for myself in 2006 following an interview with BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen. [Read: Pi Torrent box: Configure Transmission on Raspberry Pi]
2. Internet Archive
Like Public Domain Torrents, Internet Archive features a collection of largely public domain movies and shows. Best picks include “Night of the Living Dead,” and “The House on Haunted Hill.” It’s simple to navigate by category, and a dedicated user base provides excellent reviews for featured material. Overall, Internet Archive is is easily one of the best legal torrenting sites 2018. [Read: Best private torrenting sites 2017]
3. Legit Torrents
Check out these completely legal torrents from movies to software
A best pick as legal torrent websites in 2018 go, Legit Torrents is a, well, legitimate torrent website. Here, you’ll find everything from movies, music, TV shows, and game to software. There’s even a dedicated Linux distro category for ease of finding Linux operating systems (OSes). As Legit Torrents proclaims, this is a good choice for completely legally free media downloads.
4. BitTorrent Now
You should probably head over to BitTorrent Now…well, now
It would be remiss to talk legal torrents without featuring BitTorrent Now. The official BitTorrent client partners with content creators to bring free and legal media to the masses. Plus, you’ll find big names among the offerings, such as an album series by hip hop legends Camp Lo, and a torrent of music from the late, great Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Overall, with its smattering of superb torrent bundles from big names, BitTorrent Now is easily one of the top legal torrent sites 2018.
5. Vuze
Vuze originated as Azuerus in 2003 before transitioning to Vuze in 2006. Notably, it’s an awesome Linux torrent client because of its clean interface and unique bridge between I2P and clearnet. However, Vuze also hosts legal torrent files. You’ll find a bevy of matreial in several categories, from grindhouse m ovies to TED talks, and more. [Read: 8 Best BitTorrent clients for Linux distros such as Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora]
6. Linux Tracker
A great torrent site for all things Linux
Open-source software is free to download, and most every Linux OS includes a torrent download option. For Linux buffs, Linux Tracker is a veritable treasure trove of Linux distros. Keep this legal torrenting site bookmarked for all of your Linux distro hopping needs. [Read: Best torrent websites 2017]
7. Vodo
A platform for both discovering and distributing independent content, Vodo offers lots of free, legal movies. It’s entirely comprised of indie fare which vary greatly in their focus. Support indie cinema and start downloading these free, awesome flicks. [Read: Install Cardigann using Docker – Additional BitTorrent providers]
8. Miro
Take a look at Miro
Open-source and non-profit site Miro hosts video and audio legal torrents. Selections range from the New Yorker Out Loud podcast to Rev3 Games podcast, and TED Talks. [Read: Install Transmission using Docker – BitTorrent download client]
9. Etree
Free legal music torrents, that’s music to my ears
Download Torrent For Pc
Live music junkies, check out Etree. It’s a community for sharing live concert recordings. You’ll find a bunch of high-quality recordings, including many FLAC albums. Head over to Etree and start filling up your harddrive with the finest in Grateful Dead live audio. [Read: How to install RuTorrent on Docker using Kitematic GUI]
Kickasstorrents
10. Academic Torrents
There’s an important area where data sharing comes into play: academia. For that, try academic torrents. It’s a superb resource for obtaining and distributing public data. This is a pretty specific site, and unlike offerings from Public Domain Torrents, Internet Archive, and Etree, you probably won’t be filling up your media center with what you snag from Academic Torrents. Nevertheless, it’s one of the top legal torrent sites 2018, even if a bit niche. [Read: Install RuTorrent using Docker – A uTorrent-like BitTorrent client]
Best legal torrenting sites 2018
From movies, TV, and music to software and educational resources, legal torrent sites present tons of information. Internet Archive, Public Domain Torrents, and Vodo are top choices for film and TV buffs. Etree and BitTorrent Now are excellent for music. Then on the software side, Linux Tracker is great, with Vuze and Legit Torrents offering loads of varied content. Want to make even more use out of your torrents? Check out Transdrone for Android to remotely manage your torrents. Additionally, you may consider installing htpcBeginner’s own AtoMiC ToolKit for torrent automation.
However, these aren’t the only sites for legal torrents and downloads. Which legal torrent websites do you suggest in 2018?