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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted movies and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed man posted 347 clips of nude content in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

The country's authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the judge ruling that by removing the footage out of their original context, the accused had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted digital content.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult scenes including over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish anti-piracy organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 members and participants were prompted to request clips of particular actors.

In last year, campaigners filed the incident to the police on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and producers, which led to the forum being shut down.

One actress, among the performers whose nude scenes were circulated in the community, explained to Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a distinction between appearing naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts constituted "exploitation".

'An important signal'

The defendant was detained in September 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges last month.

In a statement after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader said the outcome sent an "important" message "indicating violations of artists' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's work cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their reputation.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the ruling could affect nations abroad is unclear.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the advancement of AI, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be compromised with greater ease".