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A Danish citizen has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit segments from copyrighted movies and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed man shared 347 clips of nude scenes in a subreddit he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Experts explain the defendant was charged under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's copyright law, with the court ruling that by removing the scenes out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been convicted of sharing more than 25 terabytes of protected digital content.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips including over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Denmark's anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were prompted to request clips of specific performers.

In 2023, advocates filed the case to the police on behalf of the impacted artists, directors and production companies, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose explicit content were circulated in the community, told Danish broadcasters at the period she felt there was a difference between appearing naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads amounted to "exploitation".

'A significant message'

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

In a comment after the verdict, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of creators' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling is considered unprecedented in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which states an artist's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Copyright law specialist a legal scholar informed the media the case was "unusual" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

How the case could affect nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the integrity of an individual's work might be tempered with much more easily".