Laura cressTechnology Technology
Getty ImagesA Danish man has been convicted of sharing nude scenes from copyrighted films and TV series on Social Media Site Reddit.
According to a police document seen by BBC News, the man – who was not named in the document – shared 347 clips of nude scenes on the Reddit Group 4.2 million times.
Danish police said he was given a seven-month suspended sentence for copyright infringement.
Experts say that the person is accused under a way used clause of the Danish copyright law, that by taking the scenes out of their original context, the person has damaged the artists “moral rights”.
He was also upset about sharing more than 25 terabytes of copyrighted data.
From March 2022 to May 2023, the person known as “Kalammerefyry” on Reddit posted sexual scenes with more than 100 artists.
He shares them on the subreddit – or forum – he is a moderator of.
According to Denmark’s anti-piracy group The Rights Alliance (TRA)his subreddit has over 6,000 members and users are encouraged to request clips of specific actors.
In 2023, campaigners reported a case to the police for the affected actors, director and producer, which led to the subreddit being closed down.
Andrea Vagn Jensen, one of the actresses whose vivid scenes were shared with the group, told Broadcaster Denmish Dr at the time She feels there is a difference between appearing naked in a film and appearing on Reddit.
The actress said the posts amounted to “abuse”.
‘An important signal’
The man was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charges last month.
In a statement following the ruling, head Maria Fredenslund said the ruling sends an “important” signal “that violations of artist rights have consequences”.
The ruling is considered unique in Denmark for its use of the “Moral Rights” section of the Danish copyright act that cannot be used in a way that undermines their reputation.
Copyright expert Dr Alina Trapova said the case was “rare” for its focus on an artist’s damage, instead of their economic one.
How the case will affect other countries is unclear.
But he said that there will be “more of these actions” in the future with the growth of artificial intelligence, where “the integrity of a person’s work can be more easily”.
