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

According to a police report reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed individual shared 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been handed a 7-month deferred jail term for copyright infringement.

Experts say the man was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the man had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

He has additionally been convicted of distributing more than 25 TB of protected data.

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

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

According to 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 actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the impacted artists, directors and production companies, which led to the forum being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose nude content were circulated in the group, explained to local broadcasters at the time she believed there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'A significant message'

The man was detained in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations last month.

In a statement after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader said the decision sent an "important" signal "that violations of artists' rights have repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unique in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova told BBC News the legal matter was "rare" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

How the case could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of one's work might be tempered with with greater ease".