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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit scenes from protected movies and television shows on the online site Reddit.

Based on a police report reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous man shared 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a seven-month deferred jail term for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked clause in Danish copyright law, with the judge ruling that by taking the scenes out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the artists' "moral rights".

He has additionally been found guilty of sharing more than 25 TB of protected digital content.

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

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

Per the Danish copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to ask for clips of particular performers.

In 2023, campaigners reported the incident to the authorities on behalf of the impacted actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the forum being shut down.

One actress, one of the performers whose explicit content were circulated in the group, explained to local media at the period she believed there was a difference between appearing unclothed in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The actress said the uploads constituted "abuse".

'An important signal'

The man was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded culpable to the allegations last month.

In a statement after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader remarked the decision sent an "significant" message "that violations of creators' rights has consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its application of the "ethical protections" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's creation cannot be used in a manner which violates their standing.

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova informed BBC News the legal matter was "rare" for its focus on the damage to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the ruling could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

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