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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of uploading nude segments from protected films and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a police report obtained by BBC News, the anonymous individual posted 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been given a 7-month deferred jail term for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the court finding that by taking the footage out of their original context, the man had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

He has additionally been found guilty of sharing more than 25 TB of copyrighted data.

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit scenes featuring over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were prompted to request clips of particular performers.

In last year, advocates filed the incident to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the forum being closed down.

One actress, among the actresses whose explicit scenes were circulated in the community, told local broadcasters at the time she believed there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts constituted "abuse".

'A significant signal'

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

In a comment following the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader remarked the outcome sent an "important" message "indicating violations of artists' entitlements has consequences".

The verdict is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an artist's work cannot be utilized in a way which infringes upon their reputation.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar informed BBC News the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage 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 "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of one's work might be compromised with greater ease".