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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit scenes from protected movies and TV series on the online site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document obtained by media outlets, the anonymous individual shared 347 clips of nude content in a subreddit he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

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

Legal analysts say the man was charged under a rarely-used clause in Danish copyright law, with the court ruling that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the artists' "ethical entitlements".

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

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

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

According to the Denmark's copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were prompted to ask for clips of particular performers.

In 2023, campaigners filed the case to the police on behalf of the impacted actors, directors and production companies, which led to the forum being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the actresses whose explicit content were shared in the group, explained to Danish media at the time she believed there was a difference between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'A significant message'

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

In a statement following the verdict, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the outcome sent an "significant" signal "that violations of artists' entitlements have repercussions".

The verdict is considered unique in Denmark for its application of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's work cannot be utilized in a way which violates their standing.

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

How 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 AI, where "the integrity of an individual's creative output might be tempered with with greater ease".