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A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of sharing nude scenes from protected movies and television shows on the social media site Reddit.

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

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

Legal analysts say the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked clause in Danish copyright law, with the court finding that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had damaged the performers' "ethical entitlements".

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

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted sexually explicit scenes including over 100 female performers.

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

According to the Denmark's copyright protection organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were encouraged to ask for clips of specific performers.

In 2023, advocates reported the incident to the police on behalf of the affected artists, directors and production companies, which led to the forum being shut down.

One actress, one of the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the community, explained to local media at the period she felt there was a distinction between being seen naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The actress said the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'A significant message'

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

In a statement following the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "indicating infringements of artists' rights have repercussions".

The verdict is viewed as unprecedented in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's work cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Intellectual property specialist a legal scholar told BBC News the case was "unusual" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

How the ruling could influence nations abroad 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 integrity of one's work might be tempered with much more easily".