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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of uploading nude scenes from copyrighted movies and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.

According to a law enforcement report reviewed by BBC News, the anonymous man shared 347 video excerpts of nude content in a subreddit he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has also been convicted of sharing more than 25 TB of protected data.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the man using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips featuring over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Denmark's copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were encouraged to ask for clips of particular performers.

In last year, campaigners reported the incident to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and production companies, which resulted in the forum being closed down.

One actress, among the actresses whose explicit scenes were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the period she believed there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress stated the posts amounted to "exploitation".

'An important signal'

The man was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the charges recently.

In a statement after the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund said the decision sent an "significant" message "that violations of artists' entitlements have repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its application of the "moral rights" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's work cannot be used in a manner which violates their standing.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar informed BBC News the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

How the case could influence other countries is unclear.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of one's creative output might be tempered with much more easily".