Is downloading films via torrent legal in Liechtenstein?
This is the big trap: the download for purely private use is allowed — but with a torrent you upload at the same time, and that is exactly what is forbidden. Under the Copyright Act (URG, LR 231.1) the private-use exception (Art. 19) covers copying within the private circle; as in Switzerland, even the download from an illegal source is in itself permissible. The myth: 'Downloading is always forbidden.' Wrong — the private copy is covered. The catch: a torrent works only because every participant simultaneously uploads and makes the file available to others — this distribution is not covered by private use and infringes copyright. The Swiss counterpart carries the same number SR 231.1 — same name, same number, a separate Liechtenstein law.
📋 The rules
- The private copy is allowed: The private-use exception under Art. 19 URG (LR 231.1) permits copying protected works within the private circle — for oneself, family and close friends. This includes the mere downloading for one's own viewing.
- Uploading is not covered: As soon as you make a work available to others — exactly what a torrent client does automatically — the distribution is no longer a private copy but a copyright infringement.
- Torrent always means sending too: The BitTorrent principle rests on simultaneous sharing (seeding). Whoever downloads as a rule uploads at the same time — the 'pure download' practically does not exist with a torrent.
- The source matters little for the download: For your own copy it does not matter whether the source was legal; unlike in Germany, Liechtenstein law — like Swiss law — does not make that an infringement.
- Software and circumvention are special cases: For computer programs the private-use exception does not apply, and circumventing copy protection is impermissible — here even the copy is delicate.
🔓 Exceptions
- Distribution in a wider circle: Whoever shares files in a file-sharing network or publicly leaves the private frame — that is an infringement, regardless of quantity.
- Commercial or large scale: Trading in copies or systematic offering can, beyond civil liability, become criminally relevant — especially on the rights holders' complaint.
- Software, games, copy protection: For programs the private-use exception does not apply, and cracking protection measures is forbidden — even if the copy is meant only for you.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Not the download but the sharing catches up with you. The distribution of protected works is a copyright infringement: rights holders can demand an injunction, damages and surrender of profit, and on complaint a criminal prosecution is added. Unlike in Germany, Liechtenstein has no pronounced warning-letter industry, yet the risk is real — via the IP address the connection can be traced, and the account holder comes into view first. Less obvious: if the torrent runs over the family connection, whoever provides the access may be liable; and with software without the private-use exception even the copy is open to attack. Whoever switches off seeding at once reduces the risk — but does not remove it, because the file has already been shared.
📎 Official sources
- LILEX — Copyright Act (URG, LR 231.1) (legal register home) →
- Liechtenstein National Administration — intellectual property and copyright (home) →
- Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property — copyright on the internet and private use (home) →
❓ Frequently asked
May I download films or music for my private use?
Yes, downloading for purely private use is covered by the private-use exception under Article 19 URG. As in Switzerland, even the download from an illegal source is permissible for your own copy, as long as you do not redistribute anything.
Why is torrenting then a problem?
Because a torrent program automatically makes the downloaded parts available to others again. This simultaneous uploading is a distribution and thus no longer an allowed private copy, but a copyright infringement.
Can someone catch me through my IP address?
Yes, when sharing in a file-sharing network your IP address is visible to others and can be assigned to the connection. Rights holders can assert claims on this basis, whereby the account holder comes into view first.
Are there warning letters in Liechtenstein as in Germany?
A pronounced warning-letter industry as in Germany does not exist in Liechtenstein. Nevertheless, rights holders can demand an injunction and damages, and on a criminal complaint a criminal proceeding is added.
Does the private copy also apply to software and games?
No, for computer programs the copyright private-use exception precisely does not apply. Circumventing a copy protection is also impermissible, so here even the mere copy and all the more the sharing are open to legal attack.
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