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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit segments from copyrighted films and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.

According to a police document reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous individual posted 347 video excerpts of nude content in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish police confirm he has been given a 7-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the man was charged under a rarely-used clause in Danish copyright law, with the court finding that by taking the scenes out of their original context, the accused had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

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

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips featuring over 100 female performers.

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

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

In last year, advocates filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the forum being shut down.

One actress, among the performers whose explicit content were circulated in the community, told Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads constituted "abuse".

'A significant message'

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

In a statement after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader remarked the decision sent an "significant" signal "that violations of creators' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling 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.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the legal matter was "rare" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

How the ruling could affect nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of one's work might be tempered with much more easily".