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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of uploading sexually explicit segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document obtained by media outlets, the unnamed man shared 347 clips of nude scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

The country's authorities confirm he has been handed a 7-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.

Experts explain the man was charged under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

He has also been found guilty of sharing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit clips including over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Denmark's anti-piracy organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to request clips of particular actors.

In 2023, advocates filed the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, directors and production companies, which resulted in the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose explicit scenes were shared in the group, explained to local media at the time she believed there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The actress said the uploads amounted to "exploitation".

'A significant signal'

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

In a statement following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "important" message "that violations of artists' rights has repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unique in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's work cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar informed the media the case was "rare" for its focus on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the ruling could influence other countries is uncertain.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's work might be compromised much more easily".