How can the answer be improved?
India has included itself in the list of those countries where torrent downloading has been declared as a criminal act. The country has made headlines by implementing strict online restrictions regarding torrent downloading. In this situation, the role of the best VPN for torrents comes in handy. This is because a VPN will allow you to torrent safely and let download your favorite content from best torrent sites.
IS TORRENTING LEGAL IN INDIA?
Torrenting is not illegal in any country and that includes India, the reason we are saying this is that torrenting is nothing more than an efficient and quick way of sharing large files and this does not involve any legalities. However, torrenting for copyright material is illegal in India and in many parts of the world. Think of torrenting as ownership of a car, you might use it to run errands and other chores or you can use it to commit mass homicide.
The point is torrents can be used responsibly as there are plenty of legal torrenting sites available on the internet. These sites only offer copyright-free material that is legal for public use. However, at this point, we should also address the elephant in the room and that is the illegal use of torrents. Yes, that is right, the majority of torrenters simply want free stuff and that means even if it is obtained from an illegal source.
Implications of Using Torrents In India
If you are confused or are reluctant to accept the fact that torrenting in India is illegal, then the Tata Teleservices (internet service provider) has made it very clear through their warning notice.
The above warning message should be enough to convince even the stingiest of torrenters. Part of the reason why torrenting is illegal in India is that the Indian cinema industry (Bollywood) has been booming since the recent past. Blockbuster Indian movies are breaking the charts with ratings and generating huge revenue that is on par with some Hollywood movies.
With so many amazing movies dropping in every so often, pirates also want to get in on the action. Illegally pirated Indian movies and songs are made public for anyone to view and download which does massive damage to the film industry since most of the potential revenue is wasted.
Since this issue of illegal piracy is unprofitable for Indian film and content producers, the Indian government has banned all torrent sites in their region in an attempt to get rid of content piracy and finally answering the prayers of Indian content producers.
The Indian government has taken a stern action (again) to stop online piracy and this time it’s the torrent users that have come under the cosh. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with multiple Internet Service Providers, have started blocking several torrent websites.
Websites blockages are not new in India but even more worrisome is the warning message being shown on these blocked torrent URLs. According to the message, anyone who views, downloads, exhibits or duplicates copyright content on these URLs can be ‘imprisoned for 3 years’ and also ‘fined ₹300,000 Indian Rupees’ under Copyright Act of 1957.
While this caution against the use of torrents in India seems harsh, there is also a lot of ambiguity surrounding the mentioned clauses. For starters, how will the government or ISP identify torrent downloader’s from other normal downloader’s? If someone accesses a torrent website by mistake, will they also be deemed criminals? How will the torrent users prosecute? Will the government handle the entire situation?
These are some of the questions that every torrent user residing in India would like to be answered. The situation is aggravated even more so as there are numerous other crimes committed in India that are gone unnoticed by the authorities.
Copyright Infringement Law in India
The Indian government has severely stricken its copyright laws in recent years. Before we delve into the copyright infringement laws, I think it is important that we first understand what the term “Infringement” means.
An infringing of intellectual property occurs when any individual replicates, distributes or publically uses any form of content be it music, script or any other for monetary and nonmonetary benefits without the permission of its sole proprietor.
As far as copyright is concerned, it is basically the right a person gets in return for exhausting their individual efforts into any project. This right is protected and backed by government authorities, therefore can be utilized to hold copyright infringers in the court of law for justice.
Indian ISPs are more vigilant than ever before, tracking and eliminating torrent sites from the region in an attempt to discourage the use of torrents and eradicating digital piracy.
Update: High Court of Bombay Provides Clarification Over Torrent Block
Amass the conflicting block over torrents in India and its accompanying penalties, High Court of Bombay has provided clarification that viewing pirated content won’t get users into trouble. The High Court has ruled that viewing a torrent magnet link, visiting a torrent website, or streaming content online will not result in fines or imprisonment.
The High Court of Bombay has also ordered all ISPs across India to change warning message. The initial message stated that viewing, downloading, exhibiting or duplicating content could lead to penalty and jail time. However, the new (changed) message now reads that ‘infringing or abetting infringement of copyright-protected content’ is punishable under this law.
How to Download Torrents Safely in India?
Torrent sites in India are blocked due to their copyright infringement act, which states that individuals caught pirating can be prosecuted under the Articles 63, 63-A, 65 and 65-A as dictated by the Indian constitution. Therefore, major torrent sites like limetorrents.cc, Torrenlinks.net and torrentdownloads.me are also presenting the warning message of copyright infringement we mentioned earlier in this blog.
Despite there being strict copyright regulations in India, there are still safe and surefire ways of accessing blocked torrent sites. Now there are proxies that are free and allow users to bypass geo-restrictions, however, they are not safe and we do not recommend them.
Therefore, the best option for any Indian torrenter is to use a reputable VPN service that is cheap and offers uncompromised privacy and security in the digital world. We are going to be discussing some of our favorite VPN providers that we feel you should definitely try.
PureVPN
PureVPN has to be the best VPN to torrent safely in India, because of the fact that it is ridiculously cheap and still offers top-notch privacy and security features through its 750+ servers. The best part about this provider is that it offers a money back guarantee, so if you end up not satisfied with their service you can get your money back.
NordVPN
This VPN giant has been dominating the industry for a long time now. NordVPN offers amazing amount of servers, which would wow any user. Their amazing security features and generous subscription plans makes it a compelling choice for any VPN user.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a bit expensive option in our list, however, its price can be justified with their 24/7 customer support and revolutionary encryption protocols. They also offer a huge number of servers, which is great if you are looking to switch servers for any reason. This is one situation where expensive is definitely better.
IPVanishVPN
How To Download Torrent Safely
IPVanishVPN is one of those providers whose primary concern is customer satisfaction rather than revenue generation. IPVanishVPN offers dedicated torrenting servers, therefore, users who are opting for this service can expect to enjoy a smooth and safe user experience.
IvacyVPN
If you looking to protect your internet privacy by paying less than your lunch money, then IvacyVPN is perfect for you. This provider only charges $1.20 a month, which is by bar the cheapest VPN we have ever come across. However, you will get every security and privacy feature that you would expect from a more premium VPN service.
Extratorrent Blocked in India
Over the years, numerous websites have been blocked in India. These websites usually pertained to pornography but torrent websites have also had their share of blockages. In wake of recent events, the popular torrent website, Extratorrent.cc, has been blocked at ISP level in India. You can also unblock extratorrents in India by using the best free VPN services. Moreover, you can ready a detailed guide of Free VPN India as well.
How To Download Torrent Safe For Windows 7
Final Words
In a nutshell, the new blockade on torrents has got many internet users worried in India. Anyone found downloading and distributing copyright material can find themselves in prison for up to 3 three years and also fined 300,000 Indian Rupees in the process.
According to different sources, the warning message is being shown on multiple torrent websites such as torrentdownloads.me, torrentlinks.net, btstorrent.cc, and various others. While the message has created a frenzy among torrent users in India, Extratorrent has been blocked by ISPs.
How To Download Torrent Safely In India
But with a VPN service, you can become anonymous over the internet, conceal your internet activities from internet service providers, and use torrents safely in India.