HE DOWNLOADED TORRENTS FOR 24 YEARS WITHOUT ISSUES. THEN HE USED STARLINK AND RECEIVED A COPYRIGHT WARNING
Source: AI; ChatGPT

HE DOWNLOADED TORRENTS FOR 24 YEARS WITHOUT ISSUES. THEN HE USED STARLINK AND RECEIVED A COPYRIGHT WARNING

4. November 2026

What you will find in the article
  • A Dutch user received a copyright warning from Starlink after torrenting a TV episode.
  • Starlink’s terms prohibit copyright infringement and allow service suspension for repeated violations.
  • Torrenting copyrighted content can expose users’ IP addresses to monitoring.
  • The warning has not resulted in a fine or disconnection.
Dutch flight instructor Sam Guichelaar believed he had little to worry about when downloading TV series via torrents. According to his own account, he had been obtaining content this way for 24 years without ever receiving a copyright infringement warning from an internet service provider. However, after downloading an episode of Dexter: Resurrection using Starlink, he encountered an unexpected surprise.

On November 1, Guichelaar shared a message on social media platform X revealing that Starlink had forwarded him a copyright infringement notice from Paramount. Less than two days had passed since he downloaded the episode. The incident was subsequently reported by technology publication PCMag.

Guichelaar admitted that he had never used a VPN when downloading torrents. He assumed that Dutch internet service providers generally did not comply with similar requests from copyright holders. He expected the same approach from the US-based Starlink, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Starlink Can Disconnect Users Over Copyright Piracy


However, Guichelaar had overlooked a crucial detail. Starlink has been issuing copyright infringement notices since 2021, and its terms of service explicitly prohibit using the connection for the illegal distribution of copyrighted content. Repeated violations can result in the suspension or permanent termination of internet service.

The assumption that Dutch internet providers automatically protect all their customers is also inaccurate. In May 2023, a Dutch appeals court ruled that internet provider Ziggo was required to forward a warning from the anti-piracy organisation BREIN to one of its customers. If the customer continued to infringe copyright laws, the operator would also be required to disclose their identifying information under specified conditions.

BitTorrent technology itself is not illegal. The legal issue arises when users distribute copyrighted movies and television series without authorisation. During conventional torrenting, other participants can also see the connection's public IP address, making it possible to monitor the distribution of specific files.

Guichelaar now plans to use a VPN for the remaining month of his subscription before switching to a Dutch internet provider. So far, the incident has resulted only in a warning, rather than a fine or service disconnection. Nevertheless, the case highlights that even European Starlink customers cannot automatically expect the same approach to copyright enforcement as they experienced with their previous internet service providers.

Source: centrum.cz