Since there seems to be a little confusion about what a torrent is and how they catch you I'll try to explain.

BitTorrent is a protocol - it is a very efficient way of distributing large files without a central host. It's peer to peer - you connect to someone and download parts of the file from them and they download other parts from you.

When you download a .torrent file, the file itself contains no copyrighted information. It simply says this is the hash of the file you're downloading, here are the trackers (websites that connect you to other people). The legality of simple .torrent files varies by country but for the most part, downloading a .torrent file isn't illegal and isn't what MPAA is looking for.

In order to connect to these people, you need their IP address. When your client connects to the swarm your IP address is shown for all those to connect to. This is where the powers that want to get you in trouble can see your IP and contact your provider. Your IP address is public and visible to anyone in the swarm.

If you're going to continue to download illegal files via bittorrent there's a few things you need be aware of. 1. Do not download without some type of proxy. If you're not using a VPN or a seedbox (google them) you're going to get caught. It's inevitable. 2. Find someone to invite you to a private site. While it's certainly not a foolproof plan, private sites tend to have less 'copyright police' in them simply because they need to be invited in order to use the site. 3. Do not download on work/school networks. Bittorrent traffic is incredibly easy to detect and can be even with encryption enabled. If you're going to do it at school or work you need a VPN or seedbox. Those offer an encrypted connection to 1 server that simply looks like a normal web connection. 4. It's illegal.