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

Based on a police document obtained by media outlets, the anonymous individual posted 347 clips of nude scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

The country's police confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended jail term for violating copyright laws.

Experts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the judge finding that by removing the footage out of their original context, the accused had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

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

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the man using the alias "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips including 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 subscribers and users were encouraged to request clips of particular performers.

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

One actress, one of the performers whose explicit scenes were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The actress said the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'An important signal'

The defendant was detained in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations last month.

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

The verdict is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its application of the "moral rights" clause of the national copyright law, which specifies an artist's creation cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova informed BBC News the legal matter was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

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

But she added there may be "more and more 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".