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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading nude segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media platform Reddit.

According to a law enforcement document reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous individual posted 347 clips of explicit scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

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

Legal analysts explain the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked clause in Denmark's copyright law, with the court finding that by taking the scenes out of their original context, the man had damaged the artists' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 TB of protected data.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips featuring over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Danish anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were encouraged to ask for clips of particular performers.

In 2023, campaigners reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and producers, which led to the forum being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose explicit scenes were shared in the group, explained to Danish broadcasters at the time she believed there was a difference between being seen naked in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the posts constituted "abuse".

'A significant message'

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

In a comment after the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the outcome sent an "significant" message "that violations of artists' rights has consequences".

The verdict is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's work cannot be used in a manner which violates their standing.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "rare" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

How the ruling could affect nations abroad is unclear.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of one's creative output might be compromised much more easily".