HELL YEAH! Torrents are completely legal in all parts of the world. Torrent technology actually introduced the idea of sharing a file directly from one computer to another rather then using a host server in between two computer. Its just like a file transfer via MSN or Yahoo messenger between two or more pals. But its much more different here as compared to MSN or Yahoo messenger file transfers as you don’t need an account or password to login and wait for some one to get online and to send you the file. In this case its always available among thousands if any one of them is seeding a torrent. Since the beginning of the this torrent technology it has been under the question. The main reason is sharing of copyrighted content via torrents and in some cases its even worst when news spread across about sharing child pornography via torrent. A myth started to gain people’s interest about this technology when bad news like this started to come out that “torrents are Illegal” as they help people share copyrighted items, child porn and in some cases even Govt officials document too. Many people don’t know that the 2010 global issue WikiLeaks was directly connected to torrent technology because all the data was compiled in one torrent file and was shared all around the world. It is even available to download today at many sites. Well torrent technology is NOT illegal at all. If it would have been illegal then the company (BitTorrent) who invented it would have been shutdown a long time back rather then claiming different awards including CNET’s  Webware 100 Award in 2007 and it was also recognized as “2010 Hottest San Francisco Companies” by Lead411. So it is out of question about torrent being considered illegal or not.

So how can be a technology like this can be so unleashed? Well, its not in many part of the world today. Every week people downloading copyrighted content via torrents are caught and prosecuted in USA, England, Australia, Canada and so many other parts of the world. How do they get caught? its not the issue here. They don’t get convicted because they have been using torrent to download it. Its just that, they are  downloading it illegally or in easy words you can say “they were steeling it, because they didn’t pay for it” so eventually steeling is a crime. The law has been broken as per under the copyright act about JUST sharing the content and not about HOW it was shared. In these type of cases many people don’t even know from where they are actually downloading the content as there is no server in between to host the content. Its just torrent trackers in a torrent file that points the torrent files to different locations where the content is available for the download or where it is required to be uploaded. And the person who is sharing that content is already breaking the law by sharing such a content that has already been marked as copyrighted and not to be sold or shared in anyway. This technology is just like having a knife. You can use it to stab someone or to use it in your kitchen for cutting apples.

Many of us don’t know or even heard about the term “P2P Legalities and Ethics”. These are the set of rules that explains the fair usage and limitations of torrents. Its no rocket science to understand. Its as simple as reading the back of a DVD that says “Copyright reserved, for personal use only. Not to be resold, copied, rented or SHARED”. So its pretty simple to stay in the limits and use the torrent technology without hurting anyone and disrespecting the copyright act in any part of the world. Remember torrents are not bad its some people among us making it looks like bad when in real its a great thing to use positively. Imagine sharing home videos with your family and friend circle or use it your school or collage to share your large assignments or projects.