I use a seedbox and SFTP transfer to my home, so moot, in my case, at least. The VPN was just an example of the lowered technical requirements to enter the space.

Seedboxes are even easier, albeit less well known.

The point is when there is a will, there will always be a way. As things progress, more and more people will start looking into other options, like piracy and the barrier is lower than it was in the Usenet days, for example.