Some countries don't punish consumers that pirate content, whilst others have extremely harsh consequences. In South Afrika, first time offenders need to pay a fine or spend 3 years in jail. Repeat offenders can even face 5 years in years in jail or depending on the legislation, 10 years.
Imagine getting put in jail for years because you accidentally clicked on a link someone sent you (because it contained pirated content).
One the contrary, in Switzerland, downloading and the private consumption of copyrighted material is completely legal.