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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of sharing nude scenes from protected films and TV series on the online site Reddit.

According to a law enforcement document reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous individual shared 347 clips of explicit scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

Danish authorities confirm he has been handed a 7-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.

Experts explain the man was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the court finding that by removing the scenes out of their original context, the man had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of sharing more than 25 TB of copyrighted digital content.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult clips featuring over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were prompted to ask for excerpts of specific actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and production companies, which resulted in the forum being closed down.

One actress, one of the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the group, explained to Danish media at the time she believed there was a distinction between being seen naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer said the posts amounted to "exploitation".

'An important message'

The man was arrested in September 2024 and admitted guilty to the allegations last month.

In a statement after the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "significant" message "that infringements of artists' rights have repercussions".

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

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

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

But she said there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the coming years with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of an individual's creative output might be compromised much more easily".