Michael Bravin Charged with email hacking!

[Robert Jackson]

Band Pro is a big company with offices around the world. It's the kind of company with whom manufacturers will share details that they might not want to release to the public just yet.

I'll tell you the up-side to something like this. I think we've probably all experienced breaches of confidence before where it just seemed like certain people knew things it made no sense for them to know. And you find yourself thinking, "I must be losing my mind. Paranoia has seeped into my psyche through some crack in the wall."

Then you find out there really was something going on and even though it really sucks, it's a relief on some level to know you aren't making the whole thing up in your head. Of course, Mr. Jannard may have had no Spidey-Sense tingling at all, in which case it just plain sucks.

In any event, Mr. Bravin seems unlikely to flourish in this industry now, despite having established himself as a go-to guy for a number of years. It's tragic for everyone on every side of these things when they happen. It's a pity technology hasn't produced a way to immediately identify dishonesty. It would cause a lot of business and political models to crumble, but maybe once we all got over the barrage of white lies we'd expose every day we'd all start to build something a little less caustic out of our world.

 

[C.H.Haskell]

Sorry to hear about this mess Jim, and for all parties involved. I hope this blows over as soon as possible and that no major damage was done.

 

[Paul Nordin]

I think we've probably all experienced breaches of confidence before where it just seemed like certain people knew things it made no sense for them to know. And you find yourself thinking, "I must be losing my mind. Paranoia has seeped into my psyche through some crack in the wall."

Then you find out there really was something going on and even though it really sucks, it's a relief on some level to know you aren't making the whole thing up in your head. Of course, Mr. Jannard may have had no Spidey-Sense tingling at all, in which case it just plain sucks.

In any event, Mr. Bravin seems unlikely to flourish in this industry now, despite having established himself as a go-to guy for a number of years. It's tragic for everyone on every side of these things when they happen. It's a pity technology hasn't produced a way to immediately identify dishonesty. It would cause a lot of business and political models to crumble, but maybe once we all got over the barrage of white lies we'd expose every day we'd all start to build something a little less caustic out of our world.

LOL. Well I cant say I've ever thought I must be losing my mind and suffering paranoia. But do I like your sentiment of creating a better world based on honesty and honor.

 

[David Battistella]

It seems to me like it's pretty easy to kick a guy when he's down, like Bravin is now. This guy has been humiliated, his reputation trashed, he's been fired, and now he is heading to the slammer.

His judgement was obviously terrible -- or worse -- but sometimes when I see instances like this, it makes me think, "There but for the grace of the heavens, go I." Maybe there is more to this story than we know? Perhaps Bravin was feeling desperate somehow in his career? Maybe he had personal issues going on with family or loved ones? Medical issues? Who knows. We have not heard from him.

I'm sure this comment will not be popular, but I feel like we should stop piling on him until more his known.

Yeah.

I hear you Tom.

If you read the plea that martin posted you can see that making a plea like this also involves giving up your rgbts as a citizen, such as your right to vote. In a free country your right to vote is a huge thing.

He signed those papers. It's his signature on those guilty pleas. If you put yourself in the seat of the person who signed that plea, it's got to be one of the lowest places anyone can go.

This is in no way to suggest that what he did was right, he committed a crime, admitted it and plead guilty. That cost $ 25000.00 and two months of jail time and a very long road back.

Reputations ruined. Families divided, shamed publicly and professionally.

One could argue that by doing what he has done thus far is a lifetime conviction, but I am a believer in not judging people after they have served their debt. This will cost him everything, but once he complies with all of the things in that agreement he deserves the opportunity to have a life.

My compassionate 2 cents.

David.

 

[Robert Jackson]

LOL. Well I cant say I've ever thought I must be losing my mind and suffering paranoia.

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that!

"Was that weird or am I completely losing my mind?"

You'll get there one day. ;-)

 

[Michael Brennan]

Has there been any comment from any german camera manufactuerer on this ? perhaps denying any involvment or otherwise or suggesting the blame lies with one individual acting alone ?

Perhaps this will go the way of the Murdoch hacking scandal. One guy takes the fall initially but it takes time to piece together HOW the information has been used and by WHOM.
Or perhaps Arri don't have a clue yet. Their statement that they were not part of "this investigation" is not an all embracing denial than they did not benefit from any hacked info.
It may take time for Arri to figure out what use was made of the info, especially if a plea deal has been done which probably means Bravin can't communicate with Arri.

Over the years there has been immense internal conflict at Arri regarding the development of a digital camera.

Other questions, how was he found out? and by whom? and what do they have to gain by exposing him?

Michael is very passionate about whatever products he is representing and perhaps, if this was the basis for his motivation, it will strike a chord with many in this industry.


Mike Brennan

 

[Bill Anderson]

LOL. Well I cant say I've ever thought I must be losing my mind and suffering paranoia. But do I like your sentiment of creating a better world based on honesty and honor.

I think studying the principles of Red Company is a perfect place to start.

 

[Ricardo Moreno]

It seems to me like it's pretty easy to kick a guy when he's down, like Bravin is now. This guy has been humiliated, his reputation trashed, he's been fired, and now he is heading to the slammer.

His judgement was obviously terrible -- or worse -- but sometimes when I see instances like this, it makes me think, "There but for the grace of the heavens, go I." Maybe there is more to this story than we know? Perhaps Bravin was feeling desperate somehow in his career? Maybe he had personal issues going on with family or loved ones? Medical issues? Who knows. We have not heard from him.

I'm sure this comment will not be popular, but I feel like we should stop piling on him until more his known.

if Bravin was feeling desperate somehow in his career, or maybe he had personal issues going on with family or loved ones, nor Medical issues or any other. It does not matter and there is NO excuse to commit a crime. That's is called integrity.

No one is kicking the guy when he's down. He commited a crime, got caught, and plead guilty, and he'll be free in couple months. The only one down here are JIm and RED, who got the short end of the stick, without asking for it.

 

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I have no idea about Mr. Bravin, however I feel sad to see someone hit so low. From what David has written, it seems the person in question is ruined for life. Sad that people resort to short-cuts in life.

Espionage happens. One can't deny it. All of us want to know about competitors. However, Senior personnel in large corporates are trained to know what constitutes a breech and to keep away from espionage. Arri or whoever Mr. Bravin was working for, cannot claim that it is just the work of a maverick employee. I am sure we haven't heard the last word on this topic. It will take sometime for the true story to unfold and the penalties can be severe.

Lets wait and watch and save our energies for Nov. 3rd annoucements.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

Yeah.

I hear you Tom.

If you read the plea that martin posted you can see that making a plea like this also involves giving up your rgbts as a citizen, such as your right to vote. In a free country your right to vote is a huge thing.

He signed those papers. It's his signature on those guilty pleas. If you put yourself in the seat of the person who signed that plea, it's got to be one of the lowest places anyone can go.

This is in no way to suggest that what he did was right, he committed a crime, admitted it and plead guilty. That cost $ 25000.00 and two months of jail time and a very long road back.

Reputations ruined. Families divided, shamed publicly and professionally.

One could argue that by doing what he has done thus far is a lifetime conviction, but I am a believer in not judging people after they have served their debt. This will cost him everything, but once he complies with all of the things in that agreement he deserves the opportunity to have a life.

My compassionate 2 cents.

David.

 

[geoffboyle]

OMG.. I can't help but to think about Alexa-M's debut in such short time after Epic-M. Of course, this is just my stupid imagination or I hope so.

Pulleeez

A whole bunch of us were asking Arri for a "T-Block" version the day it was first shown, it's not exactly rocket science.

 

[Peter Moretti]

Maybe we don't know all there is to this.

I don't believe that JJ was sending detailed technical info to Amnon or anyone else who wasn't part of RED.

Maybe MB pleaded guilty to draw a line under it all as he can't afford the lawyers that others can.

Maybe a deliberate trap was involved.

Maybe we should all just wait to see what happens and what comes out in the fullness of time.

Geoff,

Of course we don't know all that went on. But some of your speculation is rather bizarre. The United States has public defenders for those who can't afford to defend themselves in criminal cases. And I don't see how you can trap someone into breaking into your email account.

 

[Jeff Coatney]

Pulleeez

A whole bunch of us were asking Arri for a "T-Block" version the day it was first shown, it's not exactly rocket science.

Apparently it is...

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Pulleeez

A whole bunch of us were asking Arri for a "T-Block" version the day it was first shown, it's not exactly rocket science.

I think I've asked every digital camera manufacturer for one at some point... but Geoff's right, it was one of the first things I asked ARRI when I saw the Alexa, and I'm sure a hundred other people asked them that too. I recall even suggesting that to Dalsa.

 

[Martin Weiss]