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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of sharing sexually explicit segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report obtained by BBC News, the anonymous man shared 347 clips of explicit scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month deferred jail term for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts explain the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used clause in Danish copyright law, with the court finding that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

He has additionally been found guilty of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit clips featuring over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of specific performers.

In 2023, advocates reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and producers, which led to the forum being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the performers whose nude scenes were circulated in the community, told Danish media at the time she believed there was a difference between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads constituted "abuse".

'An important signal'

The man was detained in fall 2024 and pleaded culpable to the charges last month.

In a comment after the verdict, TRA head the organization's leader said the decision sent an "significant" signal "that infringements of artists' entitlements has consequences".

The ruling is considered unique in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which states an creator's creation cannot be used in a manner which violates their reputation.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova told the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which the case could influence other countries is uncertain.

But she said there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's work might be compromised much more easily".