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A Danish citizen has been convicted of sharing nude scenes from protected films and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a police document reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed man posted 347 clips of nude scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been handed a seven-month suspended jail term for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the defendant was charged under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's copyright law, with the judge ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been found guilty of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the man known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips including over 100 female performers.

He shared them in the subreddit he was a administrator of.

Per the Denmark's copyright protection group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were prompted to request excerpts of particular actors.

In 2023, campaigners reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, among the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the group, explained to Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer said the posts constituted "exploitation".

'A significant message'

The man was detained in September 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations recently.

In a statement after the verdict, TRA head the organization's leader said the decision sent an "important" signal "indicating violations of artists' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its use of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's work cannot be used in a way which violates their standing.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar informed BBC News the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

How the ruling could influence other countries is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's work might be tempered with much more easily".