Intro
On November 17, 2023, an email exchange with Kristian Alexander Pedersen, a student enrolled at The Royal Danish Academy Of Music, brought forth an unsettling interaction that prompts reflection on ethical conduct and professional behavior within academic spheres. Kristian Alexander Pedersen initiated communication with us, requesting a discount. Upon our standard policy explanation of non-negotiable pricing, the conversation took an unexpected turn. Pedersen’s response deviated into hostility, including threats to unlawfully pirate our products.
Piracy also known as Cracking (Cracks) constitutes a serious legal infringement. Engaging in piracy, which involves the unauthorized duplication, distribution, or use of copyrighted material, is a violation of intellectual property laws. Such actions are subject to legal consequences and penalties, including fines and potential legal action. It’s important to recognize that laws governing intellectual property rights are in place to protect the rights of creators and innovators, and individuals or entities found guilty of piracy can face significant legal repercussions.
Upholding these laws not only ensures fair compensation for creators but also maintains the integrity of creative industries and encourages a culture of respect for intellectual property rights. This exchange raises profound concerns about the behavior exhibited by a student associated with The Royal Danish Academy Of Music. Such conduct not only reflects poorly on the individual but also poses questions regarding the institution’s educational ethos and teachings regarding professional etiquette.
Consideration of Ethical Education
Below we will submit the entire email exchange with Kristian Alexander Pedersen (marked in orange color) and our responses (marked in white). The email exchange with Pedersen is also available in PDF form: email_log_file.pdf
The Importance of Ethical Behavior
Professionalism, respect, and ethical behavior are fundamental pillars in any educational setting. The incident with Pedersen underscores the necessity for educational institutions to emphasize these values to shape responsible and ethical professionals in their respective fields. This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the criticality of ethical education and the need for constructive dialogue between educational institutions and the professional world. Upholding ethical standards ensures not only individual integrity but also preserves the reputation and credibility of academic entities.
Possible repercussions
In general, by neglecting to impart the importance of intellectual property rights and ethical conduct, educational institutions potentially perpetuate a culture of disregard for legal boundaries and fair practices. This type of oversight undermines the responsibility of institutions to nurture responsible and informed professionals, potentially damaging its reputation among industry partners and accrediting bodies. Furthermore, graduates lacking awareness of piracy’s repercussions could face legal liabilities in their careers, impacting their professional trajectories and potentially reflecting poorly on the institution that failed to provide adequate guidance. It is critical to understand this can be an isolated case and we can not blame it in advance on this particular institution. Instead we hope to see The Royal Danish Academy Of Music open an investigation on this case and come up with their conclusion / statement which we will gladly publish in here, if they ever do so. Also it is important to understand that we were contacted by someone who represented themselves as “their student” rather than a private customer, hence how this institution unintentionally ended up in this whole event.
Inviting Perspective
It’s essential to recognize that individual actions might not encapsulate an institution’s overall culture. Therefore, an open invitation is extended to The Royal Danish Academy Of Music to offer their perspective on the incident and the ethical standards they advocate for among their students. We welcome them to contact us and will gladly forward their response as soon as we receive it.
The Royal Danish Academy Of Music, Image source: Wikipedia
Unnecessary insults
In professional settings, rude language can tarnish reputations and hinder career opportunities. There is also the emotional harm – Rude language can deeply affect individuals emotionally. It may cause stress, or feelings of disrespect. It is unfortunately beyond our scope of understanding what was the exact reason Pedersen decided to insult us. Polite communication is definitely something that all academic institutions in general could add some extra focus on, either through workshops or additional re-education.
Outro
I have decided to document this event as a cautionary tale for fellow sound designers, shedding light on the unpredictability of some individuals’ behavior, particularly when faced with contentious situations. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential risks and challenges that can arise in professional interactions, highlighting the importance of maintaining professionalism and vigilance at all times. By sharing this experience, I aim to raise awareness within the community and encourage others to remain vigilant, proactive, and prepared to navigate similar circumstances with resilience and composure.
Don Solaris sound designer, Roland Corporation
November 18, 2023
Threatening to commit piracy against another person’s goods, it’s not only illegal but also falls under the category of blackmail. It’s a felony. I would highly suggest contacting the Danish Police, rather than trying to iron things out with his University.
Any sort of a threat to another person’s wellbeing is a felony – is subject to criminal charges. Mr Pedersen might definitely have some ‘minor issues’ in the future, say for example – when trying to find a job. Because when ever someone types Kristian Alexander Pedersen into Google, this article comes up.
well, posting a picture of someone else without permission is also a felony.
Hello. All of the communication on this website is considered public as detailed in our Terms Of Agreement. Terms are shown on every single page of this website. In fact they are included on this very same page at the bottom, as well. Those who do not agree with them can simply choose not to participate in discussion. This person contacted us several times and provided the photo himself. Thank you for your comment!
This is horrible to see happen to you.
Hopefully the majority of good people will equalize.
-Mark (Zaphod Betamax)
Hi Mark! Long time no talk. 🙂 Yes, this is a rather unfortunate event. I am not that much offended how much I am surprised this is coming from a student of a well known musical institution. At first I thought it was a prank, but then it didn’t made sense – what would a prankster achieve by insulting me. In either case decided to share the story – for which if someone else told me, I would not believe it.
The way this guy is acting is clearly not ok and seems kind of childish to me.
I completely understand you being pissed off by that and needing try and do something about it.
What I don’t understand is how you go from there to assigning resposability to the institution he is studying at. You say that you’d welcome a statement from them, but it doesn’t appear like you have contacted them directly asking for one. Instead, you seem to be making assumptions and attack them publicly for what a student of theirs wrote and threatened to do.
While obviously being formulated much more politely, that doesn’t seem much fairer towards them than he has been towards you.
Thank you for your response! We acknowledge your concerns about fairness and the potential impact on the institution. Our intention is not to unfairly assign blame but rather to initiate a discussion around broader themes of ethical conduct within academic settings. We believe that open dialogue and collaboration are crucial in addressing challenges and upholding shared values of professionalism and integrity. Hence this comment section is totally open to the public. If we receive any communication from the institution we will gladly publish it here.
Something to point out – this was not a private correspondence with a client who purchased our product but instead someone who identified as a student of the Danish Academy. To clarify: the reason we mentioned Pedersen’s affiliation with The Royal Danish Academy Of Music in our correspondence was to provide context surrounding the incident, not against the institution.