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A Danish citizen has been convicted of uploading nude scenes from copyrighted films and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a police report obtained by media outlets, the anonymous man shared 347 clips of nude content in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Legal analysts explain the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the court ruling that by removing the footage out of their original context, the accused had harmed the artists' "ethical entitlements".

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

From March 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit clips featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to ask for clips of specific performers.

In 2023, campaigners filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected artists, directors and production companies, which resulted in the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, one of the actresses whose nude scenes were circulated in the group, explained to Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'A significant message'

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

In a statement after the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the outcome sent an "significant" message "that infringements of creators' rights has consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its use of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's creation cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar told BBC News the case was "rare" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the ruling could influence other countries is unclear.

But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be tempered with much more easily".