Danish man receives deferred sentence for distributing explicit film scenes on Reddit
A Denmark-based citizen has been found guilty of uploading sexually explicit segments from copyrighted films and TV series on the social media platform Reddit.
Based on a police report obtained by media outlets, the anonymous man posted 347 clips of explicit content in a subreddit he moderated, which were then viewed 4.2 million-plus times.
Danish authorities confirm he has been handed a 7-month suspended jail term for violating copyright laws.
Legal analysts explain the defendant was prosecuted under a seldom-invoked provision in Danish copyright law, with the judge finding that by taking the footage out of their original context, the man had harmed the performers' "ethical entitlements".
He has additionally been found guilty of distributing more than 25 TB of copyrighted data.
From spring 2022 to May 2023, the user using the alias "KlammereFyr" on Reddit posted adult scenes including over 100 female performers.
He distributed them in the forum he was a administrator of.
According to the Danish copyright protection group The Rights Alliance (TRA), his subreddit had more than 6,000 members and participants were prompted to request clips of particular actors.
In last year, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the impacted actors, filmmakers and production companies, which led to the subreddit being shut down.
Andrea Vagn Jensen, among the performers whose nude scenes were shared in the group, told local broadcasters at the time she felt there was a difference between being seen unclothed in a film and being shown on Reddit.
The actress stated the posts amounted to "abuse".
'A significant message'
The defendant was detained in fall 2024 and admitted guilty to the charges last month.
In a comment following the verdict, the head of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund remarked the decision sent an "significant" message "indicating violations of creators' rights have repercussions".
The verdict is viewed as unique in the country for its use of the "ethical protections" section of the national copyright law, which specifies an artist's work cannot be utilized in a manner which violates their reputation.
Copyright law expert Dr Alina Trapova informed the media the case was "unusual" for its emphasis on the harm to the integrity of an artist, rather than to them economically.
How the case could influence other countries is unclear.
But she added there may be "an increasing number of these actions" in the coming years with the advancement of artificial intelligence, where "the sanctity of one's creative output might be tempered with with greater ease".
