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A Danish citizen has been convicted of sharing nude scenes from copyrighted films and TV series on the online site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed man shared 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a 7-month deferred jail term for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the man was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

He has additionally been found guilty of sharing more than 25 terabytes of protected data.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to request excerpts of particular actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and production companies, which resulted in the forum being shut down.

One actress, one of the actresses whose nude scenes were shared in the group, told Danish media at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing unclothed in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'A significant message'

The man was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges last month.

In a statement following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the decision sent an "important" signal "that violations of creators' entitlements has repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its use of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's work cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Copyright law specialist a legal scholar informed the media the case was "unusual" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the case could influence other countries is unclear.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of one's work might be compromised much more easily".