Notice Board
Can Proven Industries Repair the McNally Damage? My Advice.
How Proven Industries Can Repair the McNally Damage
A Path Forward After the McNally Court Case
In the wake of the very public fallout between Proven Industries and YouTuber Trevor McNally, one question lingers like an unopened return box: can Proven Industries recover from this?
They’ ve suffered reputational damage, social media backlash, negative press, and- most importantly- a complete loss of trust among lock picking enthusiasts. After their product was defeated with a soda can on McNally’ s channel, instead of owning the issue, they took him to court. And the court case did not go their way.
They didn’ t just lose in legal terms- they lost in the court of public opinion, where transparency, accountability, and basic humility go a lot further than cease and desist letters.
By the way, this is the lock that started it all. I used the image of the blue puck lock in the previous blogs, as that’ s the one in the videos that McNally has been continuing to pick, and as far as my research tells me, it’ s the same locking mechanism, the same vulnerability, and therefore the same exploit. Let me know if I’ m wrong, I won’ t take you to court!
But this doesn’ t have to be the end of the story. If Proven Industries want to turn this around, they need to stop fighting and start listening. They need a reset- not a rebrand, but a rebuild. Here’ s what that could look like.
‘ a complete loss of trust among lock picking enthusiasts’
1. Own the Flaw and Acknowledge the Lock Picking Community
McNally didn’ t break the rules. He exposed a flaw. That’ s what responsible lock pickers do- test security, document weaknesses, and hold manufacturers accountable. Treating that as an attack rather than a service was the first major misstep in this court case.
Proven Industries must now recognise that the lock picking scene is not the enemy- it’ s the proving ground. Pun intended.
2. Stop Litigating. Start Collaborating.
The more they filed, the more McNally filmed. Each new video further dismantled the narrative they were trying to protect. Every attempt to suppress content became another boost to its reach.
Litigation isn’ t a PR strategy. The only path back is engagement. Ask questions, invite feedback, and bring critics into the conversation rather than trying to silence them.
‘ They didn’ t just lose in legal terms- they lost in the court of public opinion, where transparency, accountability, and basic humility go a lot further than cease and desist letters’
8
SEPTEMBER 2025
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