Red directly sues Arri for allegedly spying on camera tech
updated 08:00 pm EST, Fri December 30, 2011
Red says Arri took ultra HD camera secrets
Red took its accusations of Arri hacking further in the past week by suing Arri directly for claims of corporate spying. Based on a plea by former Arri veteran Michael Bravin, Red argued that the rival beyond-HD video camera designer had used technical details Red was sharing with Band Pro during talks over a possible deal. Bravin's hacking allegedly led to Arri getting unfair help developing its Alexa camera, a direct rival to Red models like the Epic-X.
The lawsuit went on to accuse Arri of making false ads in the wake of the hacks.
As compensation, Red wanted damages based on profits Arri made from the Alexa as a result of trade secrets. It called also for a permanent ban on the false advertising claims.
Red was once nearly alone in having relatively affordable cameras that could shoot 4K or larger video at a fraction of the price of others. Arri and others diminished its exclusivity, but it has still had enough success to get high-profile customers like The Hobbit director Peter Jackson and to follow up with even lower-priced sequels like the Scarlet. [via Variety]
