Danish man receives suspended sentence for posting explicit movie clips on the social platform Reddit
A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of sharing sexually explicit scenes from copyrighted movies and TV series on the social media site Reddit.
Based on a law enforcement report obtained by BBC News, the unnamed man posted 347 video excerpts of explicit content in a subreddit he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million times.
Danish authorities confirm he has been given a 7-month deferred sentence for copyright infringement.
Experts say the man was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish 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 convicted of distributing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted data.
From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult scenes including over 100 female performers.
He shared them in the subreddit he was a moderator of.
Per the Danish copyright protection group the Rights Alliance, his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and users were encouraged to request clips of specific performers.
In last year, campaigners reported the incident to the authorities on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and production companies, which resulted in the forum being closed down.
One actress, one of the performers whose explicit content were shared in the group, explained to local media at the period she felt there was a distinction between appearing naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.
The actress said the posts constituted "exploitation".
'A significant message'
The defendant was arrested in fall 2024 and admitted culpable to the charges recently.
In a statement after the ruling, TRA head Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "important" message "indicating violations of artists' entitlements has repercussions".
The verdict is considered unprecedented in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the Danish Copyright Act, which states an artist's work cannot be used in a way which infringes upon their standing.
Copyright law specialist a legal scholar informed the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the dignity of an artist, rather than to them financially.
How the case could influence nations abroad is uncertain.
But she said there may be "more and more of such cases" in the coming years with the advancement of AI, where "the integrity of one's work might be compromised much more easily".
