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

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by BBC News, the anonymous man posted 347 video excerpts of explicit scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

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

Experts explain the man was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish copyright law, with the judge ruling that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been convicted of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted data.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit scenes including over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to request clips of particular performers.

In last year, advocates reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted actors, filmmakers and production companies, which resulted in the forum being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the actresses whose explicit scenes were shared in the community, told local broadcasters at the period she believed there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads amounted to "exploitation".

'An important message'

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

In a statement following the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader said the outcome sent an "important" signal "that violations of artists' entitlements has repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unprecedented in Denmark for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an creator's work cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Copyright law specialist a legal scholar informed the media the legal matter was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

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

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