Under the username ‘KlammereFyr’ (NastierGuy), he shared sex and nude scenes with over 100 female actors in the Reddit group ‘SeDetForPlottet’ (WatchItForThePlot). This Friday, he pleaded guilty in the first criminal case concerning violation of the right of respect in copyright law.
A historic criminal case concerning copyright infringement and violation of actors’ artistic integrity was heard on Friday, October 31, at the Court in Frederiksberg. The defendant pleaded guilty to gross violations of copyright in Danish feature films and series, including the right of respect of the actors concerned. The case arose because the man, who went by the username ‘KlammereFyr’ on Reddit, had systematically shared sex and nude scenes featuring over 100 female actors in the Reddit group ‘SeDetForPlottet’. The Rights Alliance reported the case to the police back in 2023 on behalf of the Danish Actors’ Association, Danish Film Directors, the film producers concerned, and DR and TV2.
Maria Fredenslund, CEO of RettighedsAlliancen, says:
“Illegal sharing of films and series is never harmless, but in this case, we have seen the far-reaching consequences of scenes being taken out of context and placed in a pornographic context. This is both violent and very serious for the actors and producers who have been affected. I am therefore pleased that copyright law also protects works in practice, not least the actors’ right of respect, and provides the opportunity for redress after such serious violations of their professional integrity and person. With artificial intelligence and the ease of creating deepfakes, it is becoming easier to produce and share offensive content. This is another reason why it is important for the authorities to help emphasize the seriousness of this type of violation.”
The criminal case is believed to be the first in which the moral rights in copyright law, including the right of respect, are being tested. The verdict in the case will be handed down on Monday, November 10.
Nude scenes viewed 4.2 million times
Between March 2022 and May 2023, he shared nude and sex scenes featuring over 100 female actors. He highlighted the sexual elements of the scenes by cropping and lightening the various video clips, which had been taken out of their original artistic context. He uploaded the clips featuring the female actors to a porn site, from where he shared them with the Reddit group’s approximately 6,000 members. On Reddit, he described the clips with the actors’ names and details about the sexual content of the scene, while also encouraging users to send requests for clips featuring specific actors. The 347 video clips were viewed a total of 4.2 million times before they were removed.
Historic criminal case concerning actors’ artistic integrity
In Danish films and series, nude and sex scenes play an important role in the coherent narrative conveyed by the actors. When the scenes are taken out of their artistic context and shared on a porn website and in a Reddit group for that purpose, the scenes change meaning and appear extremely offensive to the rights holders.
The Danish film industry operates under guidelines that ensure that nude and sex scenes contribute to the narrative of the works and protect the actors involved both during the filming of the scenes and when the works are released. Intimacy coordinators ensure that actors’ boundaries are not crossed during filming, while agreements between industry parties limit the use of footage from sex and nude scenes in marketing. As the first criminal case to establish the right to respect, the case sets an important precedent for the protection of filmmakers’ rights and artistic integrity—not least those in front of the camera.
Press contact:
Tina Schütz Bonnichsen
Project Manager for Press and Communication at The Rights Alliance, tel. 41 41 20 93, tina.bonnichsen@rettighedsalliancen.dk