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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of uploading nude segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a police report obtained by BBC News, the anonymous individual shared 347 clips of nude content in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

The country's authorities confirm he has been given a 7-month suspended sentence for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the defendant was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the artists' "moral rights".

He has additionally been convicted of distributing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted digital content.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Denmark's anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to request excerpts of specific performers.

In 2023, campaigners filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose nude scenes were circulated in the community, explained to Danish media at the period she believed there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The performer stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'A significant signal'

The defendant was detained in September 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations last month.

In a statement after the verdict, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" message "that infringements of creators' entitlements have consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its application of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which states an creator's creation cannot be used in a way which violates their reputation.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova told BBC News the case was "rare" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the ruling could affect other countries is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's creative output might be tempered with much more easily".