A VPN would prevent the DMCA violation, however, I would talk to your telco about the one you got to see if you can dispute it. They would need to spoof your location, address, be in the same Dmark (I could be wrong on this one) and have the same service provider. Pretty unlikely that a Spoof could get you a strike. I suspect someone in your apartment complex/house/neighborhood
Edit: I torrent all the time, highly recommend with a VPN service.