Danish individual given suspended prison term for distributing explicit movie scenes on the social platform Reddit
A Danish citizen has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit segments from protected films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.
Based on a police document reviewed by media outlets, the unnamed man shared 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.
Danish authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month suspended sentence for violating copyright laws.
Experts say the man was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked clause in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the judge ruling that by taking the scenes out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the performers' "moral rights".
He has also been found guilty of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted data.
From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult scenes featuring over 100 actresses.
He distributed them in the forum he was a administrator of.
Per the Danish anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance, his subreddit had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of specific actors.
In 2023, advocates filed the case to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, directors 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 Danish broadcasters at the time she felt there was a distinction between being seen naked in a movie and appearing on Reddit.
The performer stated the uploads constituted "exploitation".
'An important signal'
The man was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges last month.
In a comment following the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" signal "indicating violations of creators' entitlements has repercussions".
The verdict is considered unprecedented in the country for its use of the "moral rights" section of the national copyright law, which states an artist's creation cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their reputation.
Copyright law specialist a legal scholar told BBC News the legal matter was "rare" for its focus on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them economically.
How the ruling could influence nations abroad is uncertain.
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 one's work might be compromised much more easily".
