Time and time again I run into people who think "torrent" translates to "illegal". Is it?

Let’s find out what this all means by examining the definitions.

A torrent is a small file usually ending with the file extension .torrent. You use the .torrent file with a BitTorrent client. BitTorrent itself is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol. The .torrent file is used to get a larger file you want from the peer-to-peer network using the BitTorrent client that "understands" the BitTorrent protocol.

The Big Question however is: Are torrents illegal?

No. And they never have been.

Using BitTorrent is the most efficient way of getting large files on the internet without having them hosted in any centralized location.

The best example of this is Linux distributions. For example, Ubuntu themselves (as do all other Linux distros) offer a way to get their OS via BitTorrent. It’s fast; it works; it’s probably going to be faster than downloading via a direct HTTP. And obviously, downloading Ubuntu or any other Linux distro via a torrent isn’t illegal.

People assume torrents are illegal because many files are traded illegally via that particular peer-to-peer network. But does this mean all torrents are illegal?

Not by a long shot.

BitTorrent is a protocol and nothing more.

It is wrong to assume "torrent" = "illegal" because it just isn’t true.

One drawback of email comes when you have to send or receive large files. Most email providers have a cap of around 10 MB or so which will probably accommodate 99% of your needs, but what if you need to send a huge file such as a video? An easy way to get around this limitation is to use Podmailing.

Podmailing is a unique service which lets you transfer files via a peer-to-peer connection. Their FAQ does a good job of explaining how the system works:

Podmailing is a kind of P2P software as it uses P2P communication technologies such as BitTorrent. It enables Podmailing to transfer data directly between its users, for maximum efficiency. But Podmailing does not have the usual drawbacks of P2P: Podmailing offers a high quality of service by relaying files on its servers so you don’t risk being stuck with “no sources” for your downloads; it doesn’t share any files from your hard drive other than the files that you send or receive; it doesn’t expose you to viruses or malware as long as you only download files sent by trusted contacts.

If you are sending a large file, you use Podmailing’s client to create the email link, however if you are receiving a file, you can either use their software or a BitTorrent client of your choice. When the recipient goes to download the file, the sender’s machine acts as a ’server’ to transfer the file.

I used to be a big fan of the Azureus BitTorrent client. Unfortunately, since it was rebranded to Vuze and became a BitTorrent client/media player/digital library/web browser/OS (exaggeration to prove a point) I’ve ditched it in favor of a more lightweight and a “does one thing well” approach BitTorrent client: BitTornado.

BitTornado is a minimal, yet fully functional approach to BitTorrents. It allows you do everything you might need such as prioritize files in a download package and control your bandwidth usage. If you are used to another client, the “learning curve” should be minimal as the number of options available are limited to a single dialog box (whereas Vuze has ~15 tabs to search through). Additionally, if you have any questions about the program, the FAQ made available does a great job of addressing common issues.

Again, Vuze is a great program, but it is not for me anymore. If you are in the same boat, give BitTornado a look… it does what it is supposed to very well.