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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of uploading nude segments from protected films and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed man shared 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a Reddit group he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been handed a 7-month suspended sentence for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the court ruling that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been found guilty of distributing more than 25 TB of protected data.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of specific performers.

In 2023, campaigners filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and production companies, which resulted in the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, one of the actresses whose explicit scenes were shared in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing unclothed in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the posts constituted "abuse".

'An important signal'

The man was detained in September 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges 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 "indicating infringements of creators' rights has consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its use of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which states an creator's work cannot be used in a way which violates their reputation.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova told BBC News the case was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

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