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A Danish man has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit segments from copyrighted movies and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report obtained by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 clips of nude content in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been handed a 7-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the man was charged under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

He has additionally been convicted of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips including over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were encouraged to request excerpts of specific actors.

In last year, campaigners filed the case to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the actresses whose nude content were circulated in the community, told local media at the period she believed there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'A significant message'

The man was detained in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charges recently.

In a statement after the ruling, TRA head the organization's leader said the outcome sent an "important" signal "that violations of artists' rights has repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's creation cannot be used in a manner which violates their reputation.

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

How the ruling could influence other countries is unclear.

But she said there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".