I've been pirating stuff since I had to do it with a 300baud modem. I've never used a VPN or once tried to hide the fact that I was stealing. Because I've often used public trackers, I've received probably 20-30 letters and emails from various ISPs that they've caught me being naughty and that I should stop. I haven't stopped. Nobody cares. Anyone that tells you that you need to use a VPN is trying to sell you a VPN.