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A Danish man has been convicted of uploading nude segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a police document reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed man posted 347 clips of nude content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Experts say the defendant was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Danish copyright law, with the court ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been found guilty of sharing more than 25 TB of protected data.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit clips including over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Denmark's anti-piracy organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to request clips of particular performers.

In 2023, advocates filed the case to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, directors and producers, which led to the forum being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the group, told local media at the time she believed there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'An important signal'

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

In a statement after the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the decision sent an "important" message "that infringements of creators' rights have repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its application of the "moral rights" clause of the national copyright law, which specifies an artist's creation cannot be utilized in a way which violates their reputation.

Intellectual property specialist Dr Alina Trapova told the media the case was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

But she said there may be "more and more of such cases" in the coming years with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's creative output might be tempered with much more easily".