Danish man given suspended sentence for distributing explicit movie scenes on the social platform Reddit
A Danish man has been found guilty of uploading nude segments from protected films and television shows on the social media site Reddit.
Based on a police report reviewed by media outlets, the anonymous man posted 347 video excerpts of explicit scenes in a subreddit he managed, which were then watched 4.2 million-plus times.
Danish authorities confirm he has been given a seven-month deferred sentence for violating copyright laws.
Experts say the defendant was charged under a seldom-invoked provision in Denmark's intellectual property legislation, with the judge ruling that by taking the footage out of their intended setting, the accused had harmed the artists' "moral rights".
He has additionally been convicted of distributing more than 25 TB of protected digital content.
From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit uploaded adult scenes featuring over 100 actresses.
He distributed them in the forum he was a moderator of.
Per the Denmark's anti-piracy organization The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 members and users were encouraged to ask for excerpts of particular actors.
In 2023, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, filmmakers and producers, which led to the subreddit being shut down.
Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the performers whose explicit content were shared in the community, explained to Danish media at the period she felt there was a distinction between appearing unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.
The performer stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".
'An important message'
The man was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded culpable to the charges recently.
In a statement after the verdict, TRA head the organization's leader said the outcome sent an "significant" signal "that violations of creators' entitlements have repercussions".
The verdict is considered unique in Denmark for its use of the "ethical protections" clause of the national copyright law, which states an artist's creation cannot be used in a way which violates their standing.
Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the damage to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them financially.
How the ruling could affect nations abroad is unclear.
But she added there may be "more and more of these actions" in the coming years with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the integrity of an individual's creative output might be compromised with greater ease".
