If your goal is safe and lawful discovery, the best alternatives are public-domain and authorized libraries. Internet Archive offers a large digital library with free access to texts, movies, archived web pages, and software collections.
Internet Archive Books
Best for free and borrowable texts, scanned books, and many openly accessible materials.
Internet Archive Movies
Best for public-domain films, classic shorts, documentaries, and cultural archives.
Internet Archive Software
Best for historical software preservation, vintage computing, and archive research.
Why these are better for low-risk use
These sources are designed around preservation, public access, and lawful distribution models. They are a much better fit when you want research, public-domain media, or archival exploration.