Editing BitTorrent (section)

== Legislation ==
{{Main|Legal issues with BitTorrent}}

Although the protocol itself is legal,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/is-torrenting-safe-illegal-will-you-be-caught/|title=Is torrenting safe? Is it illegal? Are you likely to be caught?|date=29 November 2018|access-date=5 October 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180406235039/https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/is-torrenting-safe-illegal-will-you-be-caught/|archive-date=6 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> problems stem from using the protocol to traffic copyright infringing works, since BitTorrent is often used to download otherwise paid content, such as movies and video games. There has been much controversy over the use of BitTorrent trackers. BitTorrent metafiles themselves do not store file contents. Whether the publishers of BitTorrent metafiles violate copyrights by linking to copyrighted works without the authorization of copyright holders is controversial. Various jurisdictions have pursued legal action against websites that host BitTorrent trackers.

As a result, the use of BitTorrent may sometimes be limited by [[Internet service provider|Internet Service Providers]] (ISPs) due to legal or copyright grounds.{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}} Users may choose to run [[seedbox]]es or [[virtual private network]]s (VPNs) to circumvent these restrictions.

High-profile examples include the closing of [[Suprnova.org]], [[TorrentSpy]], [[LokiTorrent]], [[BTJunkie]], [[Mininova]], [[Oink's Pink Palace]] and [[What.cd]]. BitTorrent search engine [[The Pirate Bay]] torrent website, formed by a Swedish group, is noted for the "legal" section of its website in which letters and replies on the subject of alleged copyright infringements are publicly displayed. On 31 May 2006, The Pirate Bay's servers in Sweden were raided by Swedish police on allegations by the MPAA of copyright infringement;<ref>{{cite web| url=http://torrentfreak.com/the-piratebay-is-down-raided-by-the-swedish-police/| date=31 May 2006| publisher=TorrentFreak| title=The Piratebay is Down: Raided by the Swedish Police| access-date=20 May 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140416060632/https://torrentfreak.com/the-piratebay-is-down-raided-by-the-swedish-police/ | archive-date = 16 April 2014| url-status=live}}</ref> however, the tracker was up and running again three days later. In the study used to value NBC Universal in its merger with Comcast, Envisional examined the 10,000 torrent swarms managed by PublicBT which had the most active downloaders. After excluding pornographic and unidentifiable content, it was found that only one swarm offered legitimate content.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://documents.envisional.com/docs/Envisional-Internet_Usage-Jan2011.pdf |date=1 January 2011 |title=Technical report: An Estimate of Infringing Use of the Internet |publisher=Envisional |access-date=6 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425151935/http://documents.envisional.com/docs/Envisional-Internet_Usage-Jan2011.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In the United States, more than 200,000 lawsuits have been filed for copyright infringement on BitTorrent since 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/pda/2011/aug/09/bittorrent-piracy |title=BitTorrent: Copyright Lawyers' Favourite Target Reaches 200,000 Lawsuits |newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 August 2011 |access-date=10 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204002125/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/pda/2011/aug/09/bittorrent-piracy |archive-date=4 December 2013 }}</ref> In the United Kingdom, on 30 April 2012, the [[High Court of Justice]] ordered five ISPs to [[List of websites blocked in the United Kingdom|block The Pirate Bay]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/297264/u-k-high-court-orders-isps-to-block-the-pirate-bay |title=U.K. High Court Orders ISPs to Block The Pirate Bay |last=Albanesius |first=Chloe |date=30 April 2012 |magazine=PC Magazine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525155105/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2C2817%2C2403749%2C00.asp |archive-date=25 May 2013 |access-date=6 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>