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

According to a police report reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 video excerpts of nude content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a seven-month suspended jail term for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the defendant was charged under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

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

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish anti-piracy organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 members and users were encouraged to request excerpts of specific performers.

In last year, advocates reported the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the forum being shut down.

One actress, one of the performers whose nude scenes were circulated in the group, told local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a difference between being seen unclothed 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 admitted guilty to the charges last month.

In a comment after the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" message "indicating infringements of artists' rights has repercussions".

The verdict is considered unique in Denmark for its application of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's work cannot be utilized in a way which infringes upon their reputation.

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

How the case could affect other countries is uncertain.

But she added there may be "more and more of such cases" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the integrity of one's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".