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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of uploading sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted films and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report obtained by BBC News, the unnamed man shared 347 clips of explicit scenes in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

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

Experts explain the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit scenes including over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were encouraged to request clips of particular performers.

In last year, campaigners filed the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

One actress, among the performers whose explicit scenes were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the period she believed there was a difference between appearing naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress said the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'An important signal'

The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the charges last month.

In a comment following the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "important" message "that violations of artists' rights has consequences".

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

Copyright law expert a legal scholar told the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

How the ruling could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of an individual's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".