Is downloading movie from torrent illegal

Well, it depends. It is not illegal to download content from torrent. But you cannot download the copyrighted content from torrent. It would definitely be illegal.

Since you have been talking about downloading a movie, it goes without saying that you are talking of a copyrighted content. Some nations permit downloading copyrighted content as long as you do not redistribute the content. As long as you use it for the private viewing, it should be permitted. I am not sure whether such provision exists as per Indian laws.

Some P2P filesharing services automatically redistribute the content. Check if your service is violating any copyright laws.

If the content owner makes a complaint against, the person who is downloading the content from torrents can be arrested. Torrents in themselves are not illegal in India or elsewhere, but what you download from them is what matters in deciding whether or not that content is allowed.

There are two types of content which are illegal to share on torrent.

1. Copyrighted content.
2. DRM protected content.

Both these type of content if shared from torrent, will likely to have piracy case on you. In case of copyrighted content, it comes under piracy law. And you're not allowed to share or download such content. This is the most generic type of restriction that is being applied around the world. So the punishment for sharing such content depends on the type of content being shared and the legal and financial hassle for the content creator.

In case of DRM content, the content holds the ID of the distributor or the customer who purchased the content. And in such case the person who shared and the person who downloaded, both get into clause for the punishment. Often DRM laws are applied across the border too. And the punishment can be severe. E.g. kim dot com of the megaupload got very harsh punishment and was forced under treaty rights from new zealand to US. So in between the copyright distribution case and DRM distribution case, the DRM being the most severe type of the law and often keeps the pirates away.

If you are downloading any movie or legal content without paying for it, then stop. It is piracy and it's upto you to deal with that issue if you choose to do so.

Torrent technology works on space sharing basis. So you don't upload any content to torrent. You just create a file that links to the desktop folders with links to specific files and torrent file if used by other downloads the file accordingly. This way you are not uploading the content from torrent program. It can be used to share office work or it can be used to content owned by you or the one you're allowed to distribute.

However there is one catch to the torrent use. Free software and Open source communities are allowed to use it.

Open source communities such as Linux, Git, UNIX and few other companies which distribute content under public domain and creative commons make use of torrent. So the content distributed by them using the torrent is completely legal. And there is no legal law that can stop them from using the torrent service. Also not even ISPs can block or ban them for using such technologies.

99% of the Linux OS have their ISO image available through torrent file. And they distribute other packages through the torrent too. So they are not under illegal clause. And they are allowed to share the content with the public in this way.

Public domain content (i.e. content produced 50 years and before) is also allowed to share online by torrent or any means. No copyright applies unless original author has any provision for the same.

Torrent is a Peer-to-Peer file sharing method and people uses it for legal as well as illegal purpose.

You will find most of the leaked or pirated movies on Torrent because you don't have to upload or do anything else. You just need to copy your file to various computers and start leeching them, people from all over the world will be able to download that file. They are commonly known as seeders.

If you are uploading copy righted content on Torrent then you are doing a serious crime. Recently on the release of an Indian movie 'Udta Punjab', a website owner was jailed. He took the support of Torrent for sharing movie. You may not get caught for downloading the files but still it is an illegal step.

If you bought a product legally or gained permission from the owner of the product then there will be no issues in downloading it.

Torrent is not for sole purpose of crime, it is a marvelous technology developed by Programming Marvels. Please let it be as it is.

Fight Piracy.

Downloading from torrents isn't illegal but make sure you don't publish or use it in a way where you could land in jail. Let me give you an example of a guy who downloaded Udta Punjab ( Indian Movie ) from torrents and uploaded on his website and given the link to torrents. He was arrested by police and they took down his website. Make sure you don't do this kind of stuff. Just download it and use it and don't express it in social networking or upload any clips of movies there.

when it comes to uploading, this depends on the type of content you upload. If its ur owns then there wouldn't be any problem. But if it's any copyrighted or any episode of a show or movies then its illegal and police could catch you for that.

Indians can use this website though many ISP blocks them, you can use VPN or other stuff to get to their website.

My suggestion if you want to download anything from torrent, you can do it but leave the uploading part. Make sure to avoid torrent for uploading. Even the Kat.cr torrent owner arrested by police.