Torrents

[mediaboy]

I'm sure we all know what torrents are... and how they are most often used. Or at least, how the media often reports them as most used, in various illegal ways.

However, I want to know if torrents are - in themselves - illegal. Is it illegal for me to have a file with the ".torrent" ending that shows that it's a torrent file? Is it legal for me to upload torrents and share them around the world? Are programs such as BitLord and BitTorrent legal or not?

It may seem like a stupid question, but I would quite like to be able to know whether or not someone I know was wrong in saying "It doesn't matter whether or not you download any illegal files using torrents, just having a torrent program is illegal."

Help me out? Start an argument? Both of the things to the left?

mediaboy.

[Englander]

I've always understood that the part where you're sharing copyrighted files for free is the illegal part.

Some things use torrents legitimately, I remember reading that something to do eith Linux releases files via torrent and some smaller bands release their music via torrents to raise awareness.

I really don't think that it's illegal to own a torrent program, though...

[nickster]

Torrents aren't in themselves, illegal. It's when you start sharing copyrighted material is when you break the law.

For instance, Linux ISO's are often stated as one of the reasons for using torrents. World of Warcraft, the popular MMORPG also uses the technology to send updates to users.

[staffsMike]

It's not illegal afaik. There are perfectly legitimate reasons for using torrents, it is a file sharing tool afterall. If you wanted to distribute something, like a book you have written or you make your own music, you might choose to do it over file sharing rather than a direct download as it is an cheap way to do it.

[Allen]

AFAIK the software to upload and download torrents isn't illegal, nor are the torrent files themselves, but it is illegal to use them to share copyrighted files.

[chuckskull]

Bittorrent is just a software protocol. It's a tool, like a hammer, perfectly legal, but it doesn't mean you cant do something illegal with it.

Bittorrent is perfectly legal in of itself and has many legal uses, including the legal distribution of software(linux distros are the most common) and media. Copyright infringement and other fun things is where the law steps in.

It's what you do with it that can be illegal, not the mere possession, just like a hammer

EDIT: and eww dont use BitLord http://utorrent.com/

[[GSV]Trig]

Torrent tech is the future, problem is loads of ppl use it for illegal file sharing so the ISP's throttle it, which could essentially kill it ..

[Spud1]

Just having a .torrent for copyrighted material is not illegal in most of the world (although imo it *should* be), and neither is uploading or downloading just that torrent file. When you cross the line is the second you use that torrent file to download OR upload the related content.

It's just as illegal as any other method of pirating, but its *the* single most risky method, as its so easy to get caught. It's actually easier to detect than kazaa/edonkey. If you are downloading or uploading via a torrent then your IP (and therefore your location) is available to anyone else using the same tracker as you, which means you are effectively shouting to a few hundred or thousand people that you are a dirty pirate. If just one of those people is working for an anti-piracy organisation then its very easy for them to report you with proof of what you have downloaded, how much and when.

Sure there are some convoluted ways to try and prevent this but none of them really work - bouncing your IP just means they would have to trace it back through the hops, and software like peerguardian doesn't really work in the majority of cases, as it works on a blacklisting system.

Moral is that just having the torrents is not illegal, but using them to download copyrighted material is. Stick to using them for linux ISOs

edit: oh and the software itself is not illegal of course, its just how you use it (eg its legal to own a knife..but not to stick one in someone!)

[mediaboy]

Actually it's not legal for me to own a knife, but I get what you're trying to say. Thanks!