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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit scenes from protected films and TV series on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 clips of explicit scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Experts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the judge ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

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

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

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were encouraged to request clips of specific performers.

In 2023, advocates filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose nude content were circulated in the group, told Danish media at the period she believed there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'A significant signal'

The man was detained in September 2024 and admitted guilty to the allegations recently.

In a statement after the verdict, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the decision sent an "significant" message "indicating infringements of artists' rights have repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its use of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which specifies an artist's creation cannot be used in a manner which violates their reputation.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "rare" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

But she said there may be "more and more of these actions" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's work might be tempered with with greater ease".