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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit scenes from protected films and television shows on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a police document obtained by BBC News, the anonymous man shared 347 video excerpts of explicit scenes in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

The country's police state he has been handed a 7-month suspended sentence for violating copyright laws.

Experts explain the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Danish copyright law, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their original context, the man had damaged the artists' "moral rights".

He has additionally been found guilty of distributing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted data.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were prompted to ask for excerpts of specific performers.

In last year, campaigners filed the incident to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

One actress, among the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the community, explained to Danish broadcasters at the period she believed there was a difference between being seen unclothed in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads constituted "abuse".

'An important signal'

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

In a comment after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund said the outcome sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of artists' rights has repercussions".

The ruling is considered unprecedented in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's work cannot be utilized in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property expert a legal scholar told the media the legal matter was "rare" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

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