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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit segments from copyrighted movies and TV series on the online site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed man shared 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

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

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

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

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

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were prompted to request clips of specific performers.

In 2023, advocates reported the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the forum being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose explicit content were circulated in the community, explained to local media at the time she believed there was a difference between being seen naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts amounted to "abuse".

'An important message'

The man was detained in fall 2024 and pleaded guilty to the allegations last month.

In a comment following the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund said the decision sent an "important" signal "indicating violations of creators' entitlements have consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's work cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Intellectual property expert a legal scholar told the media the case was "rare" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

How the ruling could affect other countries is uncertain.

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