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A Danish citizen has been convicted of uploading nude segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media platform Reddit.

According to a law enforcement document obtained by media outlets, the anonymous man posted 347 clips of nude scenes in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

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

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

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

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man using the alias "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult scenes including over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Denmark's anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of specific actors.

In 2023, advocates filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected artists, directors and producers, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, one of the actresses whose nude content were shared in the group, told Danish broadcasters at the time she believed there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts amounted to "exploitation".

'A significant message'

The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations last month.

In a statement after the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund said the decision sent an "important" message "indicating infringements of creators' entitlements have consequences".

The ruling is considered unprecedented in the country for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which states an creator's creation cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova informed BBC News the legal matter was "unusual" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

How the ruling could affect nations abroad is uncertain.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's creative output might be tempered with much more easily".