🔗 Share this article

A Danish citizen has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit scenes from protected films and TV series on the online platform Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report 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 authorities state he has been given a 7-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.

Experts say the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge ruling that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "moral rights".

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

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

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

According to the Danish copyright protection group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular performers.

In 2023, advocates filed the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected artists, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the subreddit being shut down.

One actress, among the performers whose nude content were shared in the community, explained to local broadcasters at the period she believed there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.

The actress stated the posts amounted to "abuse".

'A significant message'

The man was detained in September 2024 and admitted culpable to the allegations recently.

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

The verdict is considered unprecedented in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which specifies an creator's work cannot be used in a way which infringes upon their standing.

Copyright law expert a legal scholar told BBC News the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.

How the case could affect other countries is uncertain.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the future with the growth of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's work might be tempered with much more easily".