Illegal torrents are files downloaded without permission from the copyright holder, often containing copyrighted music, games, or movies. BitTorrent technology allows for faster downloads but also leads to piracy and malware. Some countries have repercussions for illegal downloads, but they are not widespread. People share copyrighted files for various reasons, including disagreement with copyright laws and inability to afford software.
An illegal torrent is a file or files downloaded without the permission of the copyright holder. Simply put, the person downloading the files did not purchase them, nor were they gifted with these files. The term illegal torrent is somewhat misleading because a torrent is simply a file that tells a BitTorrent client where to download the actual illegal files, such as music, games or movies. Most people, however, refer to torrents as if they are copyrighted music, game or movie files that are being downloaded illegally. Because of this, torrents in general have developed a bad reputation, even though many files available through BitTorrent technology are purchased, which are no longer copyrighted or freely available for use.
Torrents are downloaded using the BitTorrent protocol, which allows one person to download from hundreds of other people’s computers at the same time. BitTorrent technology was developed in the early 2000s and has become extremely popular because, in many situations, it allows people to download files faster than simply downloading them from a computer. However, not all files shared via the BitTorrent protocol are legally owned by the sharer, which leads to piracy on the Internet. It also leads to more infected computers; studies show that a good percentage of torrent files, both legal and illegal, contain malware, which can range in severity from pop-up ads to software designed to help the intruder collect credit card numbers.
In some countries, there are repercussions for downloading an illegal torrent. For example, in the United States, some people have been given hefty fines for illegally downloading music. These repercussions are few and far between worldwide, however, due to the sheer number of illegal torrent downloads. In fact, an estimated 50% of total internet traffic is caused by torrent downloads, although many of these downloads are legal.
There are various reasons why copyrighted files are shared so often over the BitTorrent protocol. Many people disagree with copyright laws, especially those of the United States, and see them as a form of censorship. Sometimes, downloaded digital media is not legally available in the user’s country, but can be downloaded via the BitTorrent protocol, or the person cannot afford to pay for the software. However, other times an illegal torrent is downloaded, shared, or both out of apathy or ignorance of copyright laws. Whatever the reason, illegal torrent downloading is a widespread crime.
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