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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report obtained by BBC News, the unnamed man posted 347 clips of explicit scenes in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Legal analysts say the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by taking the scenes out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "ethical entitlements".

He has also been found guilty of sharing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

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

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were prompted to ask for clips of specific actors.

In 2023, campaigners reported the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose explicit scenes were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the time she believed there was a distinction between appearing naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer said the posts amounted to "exploitation".

'An important message'

The man was detained 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 said the outcome sent an "significant" message "that violations of artists' entitlements has consequences".

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

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "rare" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the case could affect nations abroad is unclear.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of one's creative output might be tempered with much more easily".