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A Danish citizen has been found guilty of uploading nude scenes from protected films and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous individual posted 347 clips of nude scenes in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a 7-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts say the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the scenes out of their intended setting, the man had damaged the artists' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 terabytes of protected data.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit clips including over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Danish anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were prompted to request clips of specific performers.

In 2023, campaigners filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and production companies, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose nude scenes were circulated in the community, explained to Danish broadcasters at the period she believed there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts constituted "abuse".

'An important message'

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

In a comment following the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "significant" signal "that violations of creators' rights have consequences".

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

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar informed the media the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the ruling could affect other countries is uncertain.

But she said there may be "more and more of such cases" in the future with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of an individual's creative output might be compromised much more easily".