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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media platform Reddit.

According to a law enforcement document reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed man posted 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Experts say the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Danish copyright law, with the judge 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 terabytes of protected data.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult clips including over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Danish anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to ask for clips of particular actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose explicit content were shared in the group, explained to local media at the period she felt there was a difference between being seen naked in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'A significant signal'

The defendant was detained in fall 2024 and pleaded culpable to the allegations recently.

In a statement following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "significant" signal "that infringements of creators' rights has consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unprecedented in Denmark for its use of the "moral rights" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their standing.

Intellectual property specialist Dr Alina Trapova told the media the legal matter was "rare" for its emphasis on the damage to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

How the ruling could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the advancement of AI, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be compromised much more easily".