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A Denmark-based citizen 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 obtained by media outlets, the unnamed man shared 347 clips of nude content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

Danish police confirm he has been handed a 7-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts say the defendant was charged under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

He has additionally been found guilty of sharing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted digital content.

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

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

Per the Danish copyright protection group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 members and users were prompted to request excerpts of particular performers.

In 2023, advocates reported the case to the police on behalf of the impacted actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the forum being shut down.

One actress, among the actresses whose nude content were circulated in the community, explained to Danish broadcasters at the period she believed there was a difference between being seen unclothed in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'An important message'

The man was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charges last month.

In a statement after the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "significant" signal "indicating infringements of artists' entitlements have consequences".

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

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

The extent to which the ruling could influence nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's work might be compromised with greater ease".