🔗 Share this article

A Denmark-based citizen has been convicted of uploading sexually explicit segments from copyrighted films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.

Based on a law enforcement report reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed individual shared 347 clips of explicit scenes in a Reddit group he moderated, which were then watched 4.2 million times.

Danish police state he has been handed a 7-month suspended sentence for violating copyright laws.

Experts explain the man was charged under a rarely-used clause in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the court finding that by removing the scenes out of their original context, the man had damaged the artists' "moral rights".

He has additionally been convicted of sharing more than 25 terabytes of protected digital content.

From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "the pseudonym KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded sexually explicit scenes including over 100 female performers.

He distributed them in the forum he was a administrator of.

According to the Danish anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were prompted to ask for clips of specific performers.

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

One actress, among the actresses whose explicit content were shared in the community, explained to local broadcasters at the period she felt there was a difference between being seen unclothed in a film and appearing on Reddit.

The performer stated the posts constituted "abuse".

'An important signal'

The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the charges recently.

In a statement after the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" message "indicating violations of artists' rights has repercussions".

The ruling is viewed as unique in Denmark for its application of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which specifies an artist's creation cannot be used in a manner which infringes upon their standing.

Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "rare" for its focus on the harm to the integrity of an performer, rather than to them financially.

The extent to which the case could affect nations abroad is unclear.

But she added there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the growth of AI, where "the integrity of one's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".