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A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of uploading nude scenes from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media platform Reddit.

Based on a police document reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual posted 347 clips of nude content in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

The country's authorities state he has been given a seven-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts say the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge ruling that by taking the footage out of their original context, the man had damaged the performers' "moral rights".

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

From March 2022 to mid-2023, the man known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult clips featuring over 100 actresses.

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

Per the Danish anti-piracy organization the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and users were encouraged to request clips of particular performers.

In 2023, campaigners reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and producers, which led to the forum being closed down.

One actress, one of the performers whose nude scenes were circulated in the group, explained to Danish broadcasters at the time she believed there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer said the uploads constituted "exploitation".

'A significant signal'

The defendant was detained in September 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges last month.

In a statement after the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance the organization's leader said the decision sent an "significant" signal "that infringements of artists' entitlements have repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in the country for its use 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.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar told the media the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

The extent to which 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 advancement of AI, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be tempered with much more easily".