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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the online site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed man posted 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish authorities state he has been given a seven-month suspended sentence for violating copyright laws.

Experts say the man was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their original context, the man had harmed the artists' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been convicted of sharing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted data.

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult scenes featuring over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 members and users were encouraged to request clips of particular actors.

In 2023, advocates filed the incident to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the forum being closed down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose nude content were shared in the group, explained to Danish broadcasters at the period she felt there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts amounted to "abuse".

'An important message'

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

In a statement following the verdict, TRA head the organization's leader said the decision sent an "important" signal "indicating violations of artists' rights has consequences".

The ruling is considered unprecedented in Denmark for its application of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's creation cannot be used in a manner which violates their standing.

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova informed BBC News the legal matter was "rare" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them economically.

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

But she added there may be "more and more of such cases" in the future with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of one's work might be compromised with greater ease".