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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of uploading nude scenes from protected movies and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous individual posted 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

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

Experts say the defendant was charged under a rarely-used clause in Danish copyright law, with the judge ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the man had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

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

From March 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips including over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular performers.

In 2023, campaigners filed the incident to the police on behalf of the impacted actors, filmmakers and producers, which led to the forum being shut down.

One actress, among the actresses whose nude scenes were circulated in the community, explained to local media at the time she believed there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'An important signal'

The defendant was arrested in September 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations recently.

In a comment after the verdict, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of artists' entitlements has consequences".

The ruling is considered unique in the country for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which states an artist's creation cannot be used in a way which infringes upon their reputation.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova told the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

How the ruling could affect nations abroad is unclear.

But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the integrity of one's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".