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A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of uploading nude scenes from protected films and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document obtained by BBC News, the anonymous individual shared 347 clips of nude content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.

The country's police confirm he has been given a 7-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.

Experts explain the man was charged under a rarely-used clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

He has also been found guilty of distributing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted digital content.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit scenes including over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Denmark's copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to request clips of particular actors.

In last year, campaigners reported the incident to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and producers, which resulted in the forum being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the performers whose nude content were circulated in the group, explained to Danish media at the time she felt there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'An important message'

The defendant was detained in September 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations last month.

In a comment following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of creators' entitlements have repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its application of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an artist's work cannot be used in a way which violates their standing.

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova told BBC News the case was "rare" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

How the ruling 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 sanctity of an individual's work might be tempered with with greater ease".