Is it legal to download movies or music from torrent sites?

Downloading movies or music from torrent sites in India is generally illegal if the content is copyrighted and done without the owner’s permission.

Torrenting as a technology is not illegal, but using it to download or share copyrighted material without authorization violates the Copyright Act, 1957.

Offenders can face imprisonment of up to three years and fines up to ₹3,00,000. Simply visiting torrent sites is not a crime, but reproducing, distributing, or downloading pirated content is unlawful.

The law distinguishes between lawful sharing with consent and illegal piracy, making unauthorized torrenting of copyrighted content punishable.