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

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous individual posted 347 video excerpts of explicit scenes in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

The country's police confirm he has been handed a seven-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the man was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge finding that by taking the scenes 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 digital content.

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Denmark's anti-piracy organization the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were prompted to request clips of particular performers.

In last year, advocates filed the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and producers, which resulted in the subreddit being shut down.

One actress, one of the actresses whose explicit scenes were circulated in the community, explained to local media at the period she felt there was a difference between appearing naked in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the posts amounted to "exploitation".

'A significant message'

The defendant was detained in fall 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charges last month.

In a statement after the verdict, TRA head the organization's leader remarked the outcome sent an "important" message "that infringements of artists' rights has consequences".

The verdict is viewed as unique in the country for its application of the "moral rights" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova informed BBC News the case was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

How the case could affect other countries is unclear.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of an individual's creative output might be tempered with with greater ease".