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A Danish citizen has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit scenes from protected films and television shows on the online site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by BBC News, the anonymous man posted 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been given a 7-month deferred sentence for violating copyright laws.

Experts explain the man was charged under a rarely-used clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the artists' "ethical entitlements".

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

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips including over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, 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 impacted artists, directors and producers, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, one of the performers whose explicit content were shared in the group, told Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a distinction between being seen naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts constituted "abuse".

'An important message'

The defendant was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded culpable to the allegations recently.

In a comment after the ruling, TRA head the organization's leader remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "that infringements of creators' entitlements has consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "moral rights" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's creation cannot be utilized in a way which infringes upon their standing.

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the legal matter was "rare" for its emphasis on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the ruling could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

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