What I think is missing is a kind of signed database version control system. So you make a list of data (maybe just a markdown table) and you sign it wiht a private key and put that in a DHT / distributed hashtable. Then people can use that and you can update the database / list. People can also fork this list, add their own stuff and distribute it as their own and signed with their own private key. And you could have pull requests and merge back good additions. All without requiring proper servers but possibly benefiting from being hosted on a seedbox.

And of course a simple client to find and view such lists.

Ideally you’d have some template that describes typical metadata for a kind of distribute movie database, but also books, subtitles, songs, albums, articles, scientific papers, fonts. But you can also fork the templates and extend them. So you might have a perfectly legit open source database of movies with links to what legit streaming service is selling it, and then an extra template that extends that with magnet releases.

I have never seen something like this though, my puny brain has trouble imagining the technical hurdles. Maybe this could just be done with a simple version control system client. I think torrent V2 also has some extensions that allow update-able torrents (which some FUD confused with this being the default). Or maybe it’s that proper web pages allow people to make money through advertising.