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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted movies and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a police document reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual posted 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended jail term for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the man was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish copyright law, with the court finding that by taking the scenes out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the artists' "ethical entitlements".

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

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit scenes featuring over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular actors.

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

One actress, one of the actresses whose nude content were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads amounted to "exploitation".

'A significant signal'

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

In a comment after the verdict, TRA head the organization's leader remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "that infringements of creators' rights has repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's work cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their standing.

Intellectual property expert a legal scholar informed the media the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

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