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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of uploading nude scenes from protected films and television shows on the social media platform Reddit.

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

The country's police state he has been given a 7-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts explain the man was charged under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the scenes out of their original context, the man had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

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

From March 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit scenes including over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Danish anti-piracy organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to request excerpts of specific actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, directors and producers, which led to the forum being closed down.

One actress, among the actresses whose nude content were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The actress said the posts constituted "exploitation".

'An important signal'

The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the charges last month.

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

The verdict is considered unprecedented in the country for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's work cannot be used in a way which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar informed the media the case was "rare" for its emphasis on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

How the ruling could affect other countries is uncertain.

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 tempered with much more easily".