Danish national individual given deferred prison term for sharing explicit movie clips on the social platform Reddit
A Denmark-based man has been found guilty of uploading sexually explicit segments from protected movies and TV series on the online platform Reddit.
Based on a law enforcement document obtained by BBC News, the anonymous man shared 347 video excerpts of explicit scenes in a subreddit he managed, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.
Danish authorities confirm he has been handed a 7-month suspended jail term for copyright infringement.
Experts explain the man was prosecuted under a rarely-used provision in Danish intellectual property legislation, with the judge ruling that by taking the footage 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 protected data.
From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the user known as "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult clips featuring over 100 female performers.
He distributed them in the forum he was a moderator of.
Per the Denmark's anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his online community had more than 6,000 subscribers and participants were encouraged to request clips of specific actors.
In 2023, advocates reported the case to the authorities on behalf of the impacted artists, directors and producers, which led to the forum being shut down.
One actress, among the performers whose explicit scenes were shared in the group, told Danish media at the time she believed there was a difference between appearing naked in a film and being shown on Reddit.
The performer stated the uploads amounted to "abuse".
'A significant message'
The defendant was detained in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the allegations recently.
In a comment after the ruling, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "significant" signal "indicating infringements of artists' rights have repercussions".
The verdict is viewed as unique in the country for its application of the "moral rights" clause of the national copyright law, which specifies an creator's work cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their reputation.
Copyright law specialist Dr Alina Trapova told the media the legal matter was "rare" for its emphasis on the damage to the dignity of an performer, rather than to them financially.
The extent to which the case could affect other countries is uncertain.
But she said there may be "an increasing number of such cases" in the coming years with the advancement of AI, where "the integrity of one's work might be tempered with with greater ease".
