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A Danish court has convicted a 40-year-old man in what is being described as a landmark case for copyright law, sentencing him for clipping and distributing nude scenes from films and television shows on Reddit. The man, who operated under the username “KlammereFyr” (which translates to “NastierGuy”), received a seven-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.
The conviction stems from the man’s activities as a moderator of a Reddit community where he uploaded at least 347 video clips featuring nude or sexual scenes. These clips were taken out of their original context from copyrighted works and involved more than 100 different actresses. The case stands out because the conviction was not only for copyright infringement but also for violating the performers' “moral rights.” Prosecutors argued that isolating and sharing these scenes infringed upon the artistic integrity and reputation of the actresses involved, a protection that goes beyond the economic aspects of traditional copyright law.
The investigation, which began after a tip from the anti-piracy group Rights Alliance, was handled by Denmark's National Unit for Special Crime (NSK). Authorities found that the moderator had systematically compiled the scenes, making them available in a way the original creators and actors never intended. The court found this act constituted a “gross violation of copyright.” According to Danish police, the case sends a strong signal that sharing such decontextualized content is illegal and has serious consequences.
In addition to his activities on Reddit, the investigation revealed that the man operated a torrent tracker. This server hosted a vast collection of pirated material, with authorities reporting that more than 25 terabytes of content were made available for download. The verdict has been hailed by rights holders as a significant victory in the fight against online piracy and for the protection of performers' rights in the digital age, setting a precedent for how moral rights are applied to content shared online.
