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A Denmark-based man has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted films and TV series on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement document reviewed by BBC News, the unnamed individual posted 347 video excerpts of nude content in a Reddit group he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.

Danish police confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended jail term for violating copyright laws.

Legal analysts explain the defendant was charged under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the court ruling that by taking the footage out of their original context, the accused had harmed the artists' "moral rights".

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

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

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

According to the Denmark's anti-piracy organization the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were encouraged to request excerpts of particular actors.

In last year, advocates filed the case to the police on behalf of the impacted artists, filmmakers and production companies, which resulted in the subreddit being shut down.

Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the actresses whose nude content were circulated in the community, explained to Danish media at the time she felt there was a difference between appearing unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".

'A significant message'

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

In a comment following the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the outcome sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of artists' entitlements has repercussions".

The ruling is considered unprecedented in the country for its application of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which states an creator's creation cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their reputation.

Intellectual property expert a legal scholar informed BBC News the legal matter was "rare" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the case could affect other countries is uncertain.

But she added there may be "more and more of such cases" in the future with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of an individual's work might be compromised with greater ease".