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A Danish citizen has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit scenes from protected films and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish police confirm he has been handed a seven-month deferred jail term for copyright infringement.

Experts say the man was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked clause in Denmark's copyright law, with the judge finding that by taking the scenes out of their intended setting, the man had damaged the artists' "ethical entitlements".

He has also been convicted of sharing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted data.

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit clips including over 100 actresses.

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

According to the Danish copyright protection organization the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular actors.

In 2023, advocates filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and production companies, which resulted in the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, among the performers whose nude content were circulated in the group, explained to local media at the period she felt there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The actress said the posts amounted to "abuse".

'An important signal'

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

In a comment following the verdict, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" message "indicating violations of artists' rights has consequences".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which states an creator's creation cannot be utilized in a way which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property expert Dr Alina Trapova told BBC News the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

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

But she said there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the growth of AI, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be compromised with greater ease".