Sharing sex and nude scenes is illegal and a breach of trust between actors and their audience. A new educational programme from Gyldendal aims to teach young people about image sharing and consent on social media.
Sharing private, intimate images without consent has been a major challenge on the internet for many years, as has the illegal sharing of copyrighted content. But what about when the images shared are from movie scenes with actors who have chosen to appear in nude or sex scenes?
Sharing nude and sex scenes from movies on social media is not only transgressive for those involved, but also illegal as it violates the actors’ and directors’ respect rights, which are part of the copyright of the work. The case of people sharing nude and sex scenes in a group on Reddit shows that there is a need for education on the subject.
We can learn from the Reddit case
Therefore, the Rights Alliance, in collaboration with the Danish Actors’ Association, has launched a programme in social sciences at Gyldendal, where students will learn about copyright, respect right, image sharing and consent. The programme is based on the Reddit case from 2023, where no less than 347 nude scenes from Danish movies and TV series were systematically shared with 6,000 anonymous users in a closed group on Reddit. The Reddit group was quickly shut down when the offences were discovered. The case is now being handled by the police after being reported by the rights alliance in May 2023, on behalf of the Danish Actors’ Association.
Maria Fredenslund, CEO of RettighedsAlliancen, says:
“Creative content is made with heart, ambition and personal investment from those involved, which is why it is so important that we have the copyright to protect those who make a living from making movies and other forms of creative content. Sharing nude and sex scenes is a serious infringement of the work and, in particular, of the offending actors. With the educational programme, we hope to increase respect for other people’s content and teach young people about the limits of image sharing.”
It is possible to stop the sharing of nude and sex scenes
As a representative of Danish actors, the Danish Actors’ Association finds that digital harassment is a major challenge that affects many of their members. In the reddit case alone, more than 100 Danish female actors were exposed for sharing nude and sex scenes in which they appear. However, many feel powerless and don’t realise that it is possible to take action against the sharing of nude and sex scenes by enforcing the actor’s respect rights. As part of the effort to raise awareness in this area, the Danish Actors’ Association has chosen to co-create the educational programme.
Chairman of the Danish Actors’ Association Benjamin Boe Rasmussen says:
“This case of abuse of our members’ rights and illegal sharing of their work was, and still is, a very important part of our daily work in the organisation. In this case, The Rights Alliance’s efforts were of the utmost importance. Firstly, we can show our members that we can do something, even when the violations take place in a global reality, and that there are consequences for the violators. Our naturally close co-operation with the Rights Alliance will only get stronger with the development of artificial intelligence and the protection of actors’ rights. I have a dream that we can make young people aware of digital rights.”
The material for ‘Shared 4.2 million times’ is available for free via Gyldendal here