No, torrenting copyrighted material in Georgia violates the Law of Georgia on Copyright and Related Rights, enforced by the National Intellectual Property Center (Sakpatenti), with penalties including fines up to GEL 5,000 (≈$1,850) and potential criminal liability under the 2026 amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses.
Key Regulations for Torrenting in Georgia
- Copyright Infringement Liability: Distributing or downloading copyrighted works via torrents without authorization constitutes infringement under Sakpatenti’s 2024 enforcement guidelines, aligning with Georgia’s obligations under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
- ISP Liability: Internet service providers (ISPs) must comply with court orders to block torrenting platforms hosting infringing content, per the 2025 amendments to the Law on Electronic Communications, or face fines up to GEL 200,000 (≈$74,000).
- Criminal Provisions: Repeat offenders or large-scale distribution (e.g., seeding 1,000+ files) may trigger Article 190 of the Criminal Code, risking imprisonment for up to 3 years, as clarified in Sakpatenti’s 2026 compliance circulars.
Torrenting legal content (e.g., Creative Commons or public domain material) remains permissible, but peer-to-peer sharing of proprietary works without express consent violates Georgian law. Sakpatenti’s 2026 enforcement priorities emphasize cross-border collaboration with EU agencies to curb piracy.