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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted movies and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

According to a law enforcement document obtained by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 video excerpts of explicit scenes in a Reddit group he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a 7-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts say the man was charged under a seldom-invoked clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by removing the scenes out of their original context, the accused had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been found guilty of sharing more than 25 TB of protected data.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 members and participants were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular actors.

In 2023, campaigners filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, directors and producers, which led to the forum being shut down.

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

The performer stated the posts constituted "exploitation".

'A significant signal'

The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges recently.

In a comment following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the outcome sent an "significant" signal "that violations of creators' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling is considered unprecedented in the country for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which specifies an artist's work cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova told the media the case was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of AI, where "the integrity of one's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".