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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading nude segments from copyrighted films and TV series on the online platform Reddit.

According to a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a subreddit he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

The country's authorities confirm he has been handed a 7-month deferred jail term for violating copyright laws.

Experts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Danish copyright law, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their original context, the accused had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 terabytes of protected data.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Denmark's copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were encouraged to request excerpts of particular actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the incident to the police on behalf of the impacted artists, directors and producers, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

One actress, among the actresses whose explicit scenes were shared in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a difference between being seen naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'An important message'

The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and pleaded culpable to the charges recently.

In a statement following the ruling, TRA head the organization's leader remarked the outcome sent an "important" signal "indicating infringements of artists' entitlements has repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unique in Denmark for its application of the "moral rights" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an artist's creation cannot be utilized in a way which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property expert a legal scholar told the media the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the case could affect other countries is unclear.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's work might be tempered with much more easily".