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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading nude segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the online site Reddit.

According to a police document obtained by media outlets, the unnamed man posted 347 clips of explicit scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

The country's authorities state he has been given a 7-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts explain the man was charged under a rarely-used provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by removing the scenes out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "ethical entitlements".

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

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips featuring over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to request clips of particular actors.

In 2023, advocates filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, directors and producers, which resulted in the forum being closed down.

One actress, among the actresses whose nude content were circulated in the group, explained to Danish media at the time she felt there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the posts constituted "abuse".

'A significant message'

The man was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charges last month.

In a comment after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" signal "that violations of artists' entitlements has consequences".

The verdict is considered unprecedented 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 a legal scholar told the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

How the case could influence other countries is unclear.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the advancement of AI, where "the sanctity of one's creative output might be tempered with with greater ease".