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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading nude segments from protected films and television shows on the online site Reddit.

Based on a police report obtained by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

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

Experts say the defendant was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their original context, the accused had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

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

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips including over 100 female performers.

He distributed them in the forum he was a administrator of.

According to the Denmark's anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular actors.

In 2023, campaigners filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, directors and production companies, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

One actress, among the actresses whose explicit content were circulated in the community, told Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a distinction between appearing naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer stated the uploads constituted "abuse".

'A significant message'

The man was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges recently.

In a comment following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" signal "indicating infringements of artists' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's work cannot be used in a manner which violates their reputation.

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

The extent to which the case could affect other countries is unclear.

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