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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of uploading nude scenes from copyrighted films and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous man shared 347 clips of explicit scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a seven-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts explain the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's copyright law, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their original context, the man had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been convicted of sharing more than 25 terabytes of protected data.

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips featuring over 100 female performers.

He distributed them in the forum he was a administrator of.

According to the Denmark's copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to request excerpts of particular actors.

In 2023, campaigners filed the incident to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and producers, which resulted in the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose explicit content were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'An important signal'

The defendant was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to the allegations last month.

In a comment after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "that infringements of artists' entitlements has consequences".

The verdict is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's work cannot be utilized in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova told the media the case was "rare" for its focus on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the case could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

But she said there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the advancement of AI, where "the integrity of one's work might be compromised with greater ease".