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A Danish citizen has been convicted of uploading nude scenes from copyrighted movies and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a police report obtained by media outlets, the anonymous man posted 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a Reddit group he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

The country's police state he has been handed a seven-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 terabytes of protected data.

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

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

According to the Denmark's copyright protection group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of specific performers.

In 2023, advocates filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and production companies, which resulted in the subreddit being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the performers whose nude scenes were circulated in the community, told local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a difference between appearing naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'An important message'

The man was detained in fall 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charges recently.

In a statement after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of creators' rights have repercussions".

The verdict is considered unique in Denmark for its application of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their reputation.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova told the media the case was "rare" for its emphasis on the harm to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

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

But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be tempered with much more easily".