🔗 Share this article

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

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

The country's authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.

Legal analysts say the man was charged under a rarely-used provision in Denmark's copyright law, with the judge finding that by removing the footage out of their intended setting, the man had damaged the artists' "ethical entitlements".

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

From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult scenes including over 100 actresses.

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

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

In 2023, advocates filed the incident to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which resulted in the subreddit being closed down.

One actress, among the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the community, explained to local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a distinction between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.

The actress said the posts amounted to "exploitation".

'An important message'

The man was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the allegations last month.

In a comment following the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" message "that infringements of artists' rights have repercussions".

The verdict is considered unique in Denmark for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the Danish Copyright Act, which specifies an creator's work cannot be utilized in a way which infringes upon their reputation.

Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova informed BBC News the legal matter was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them economically.

How the case could affect nations abroad is unclear.

But she said there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's work might be compromised with greater ease".