Sony has said it could take legal action against Arri after a former Arri exec admitted hacking into the email account of US digital cinema company Band Pro.

Former Arri vice-president of market development Michael Bravin, who worked for Band Pro from 1993 to 2009, pleaded guilty in September to unlawfully accessing his former employer’s email server.

At last week’s NAB trade show, Sony senior vice-president of sales and marketing Alec Shapiro said it could join Band Pro and Red in taking legal action against Arri, after the reseller filed a suit containing 13 complaints against Arri and Bravin.

Shapiro said: “Sony supports Band Pro’s efforts to address these alleged wrongdoings, and if the case shows Arri has caused Sony itself harm, Sony intends to exercise legal remedies to recover damages.”

In response to a December lawsuit filed by Red, Arri denied that it knew or approved of the email espionage.