No, torrenting copyrighted material in Colombia violates Law 23 of 1982 and Decree 1627 of 2016, enforced by the Dirección Nacional de Derecho de Autor (DNDA). Unauthorized distribution risks fines up to 1,500 SMLMV ($450,000 COP) and 8-year imprisonment under Article 271 of the Penal Code. Streaming or downloading for personal use may avoid penalties, but sharing remains illegal.
Key Regulations for Torrenting in Colombia
- Law 23/1982 (Copyright Act): Criminalizes unauthorized reproduction/distribution of protected works, including via P2P networks.
- Decree 1627/2016: Mandates ISPs to block infringing sites upon DNDA orders, with non-compliance triggering liability.
- Penal Code Article 271: Imposes severe penalties for large-scale piracy, including imprisonment for facilitating torrent trackers.
Recent 2026 amendments to Law 23 expand DNDA’s authority to monitor VPNs and proxy servers used to bypass blocks. Courts have upheld ISP liability for failing to act against repeat offenders. While personal use exceptions exist, active torrenting—especially of commercial content—remains prosecutable.