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A Danish man has been convicted of sharing nude segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document obtained by media outlets, the anonymous individual shared 347 video excerpts of nude scenes in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.

Danish police confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the defendant was charged under a rarely-used clause in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by removing the scenes out of their original context, the accused had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".

He has additionally been convicted of sharing more than 25 TB of copyrighted data.

From March 2022 to May 2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult scenes including over 100 female performers.

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

Per the Denmark's anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were prompted to request excerpts of specific actors.

In 2023, campaigners filed the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the forum being shut down.

One actress, one of the performers whose explicit scenes were circulated in the community, told local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a movie and being shown on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads constituted "abuse".

'An important signal'

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

In a statement following the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund said the outcome sent an "significant" message "that violations of creators' rights have repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unprecedented in the country for its use of the "moral rights" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their reputation.

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

The extent to which the case could influence nations abroad is unclear.

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 an individual's work might be compromised with greater ease".