Decade long rift among Blackmagic Design’s three co-founders
The share battle between Blackmagic Design's three co-founders, now in federal court.
"the most hostile f***ing agent you can possibly imagine".
The generally perceived 'Mr nice guy' Petty on his new product release videos faces a statement of claim filed by Mr Barber alleges Mr Petty said he would "fight back" against shares sold to a third party, and promised to be "the most hostile f***ing agent you can possibly imagine".
Grant Petty and Peter Barber grew up together in the regional country town of Shepparton in Victoria, Australia. Nice..
A July 2026 lawsuit filed in the Federal Court of Australia exposes a decade-long rift among Blackmagic Design’s three co-founders: CEO Grant Petty, Senior Engineer Douglas Clarke, and former director Peter Barber.
Core Allegations by Peter Barber...
Peter Barber (who is now the CEO of rival video tech company Atomos) claims he has been subjected to a "decade of hostility" by Petty and Clarke. His central grievances include:
- Blocked Share Sale: Barber has an estimated A$98 million (approx. $68m USD) in assets locked up in the company. He claims he first attempted to exit and sell his 28% stake in 2016, but Grant Petty allegedly "reacted furiously," insisting a third-party investor would ruin the company and promising to actively block any sale.
- Thwarter $1.5 Billion VC Deal: Barber's legal team states that venture capital firm Five V Capital explored an investment that would have valued Blackmagic Design at A$900 million to A$1.5 billion. Petty allegedly sabotaged this deal to prevent outside equity.
- Withheld Dividends: Barber alleges that Blackmagic Design abruptly stopped paying him corporate dividends without explanation, despite the company bringing in over A$550 million in annual revenue.
- Information Blackout: He claims he has been denied basic access to internal financial statements and updates regarding the health and operation of the business.
Latest:
We now have PeakFilm reporters working directly on this case
Stay Tuned for Updates..
Hearing history and what's next:
Date Event Outcome
23-Jul-2026 First Case Management Hearing (Justice Markovic) Adjourned
21-Aug-2026 Case Management Hearing Adjourned
24-Aug-2026 Administrative Listing Adjourned
17-Sep-2026 Interlocutory Hearing (Court Room 18B) Adjourned — pre-hearing
13-Nov-2026 Case Management Hearing Not yet occurred — upcoming
So there was in fact an interlocutory hearing just two days ago (17 Sep), and the matter has been adjourned again — no substantive ruling recorded, just moved along to further case management. The next scheduled listing is 13 November 2026.
Recent filings:
15-Sep-2026: Barber filed an Outline of Submissions
11-Sep-2026: Blackmagic Design filed an Outline of Submissions
09-Sep-2026: Barber filed a Notice of Change of Address for Service
08-Sep-2026: Blackmagic filed an Affidavit
31-Aug-2026: Barber filed an Affidavit
07-Aug-2026: Blackmagic filed an Interlocutory Application and a supporting Affidavit (this is likely the security-for-costs application the press mentioned)
24-Jul-2026: Barber filed an Amended Document
20-Jul-2026: All three defendants formally appointed their lawyers (Piper Alderman)
29-Jun-2026: Originating Process, Statement of Claim, and Genuine Steps Statement filed by Barber — this is the actual filing date, earlier than the July press coverage suggested
So the dueling Outlines of Submissions filed 11–15 September were almost certainly argued at the 17 September interlocutory hearing — most likely resolving Blackmagic's August interlocutory application (probably the security-for-costs bid reported in the press). No orders or judgment text are posted on the public docket yet from that hearing, and the case itself is far from resolved — it's now tracking toward a case management hearing on 13 November 2026.
Jake Cook let me down, mustn’t be a high enough profile client to get a reply within three working days!
Take a look at the Blackplastic Design website built out of sheer desperation: blackplasticdesign.com
BMD's highly polished public profile must be the envy of many broadcast company startups, what with all of the unofficial sponsorships and social media presence. (that team2films has always confused me as perfect as it is albeit, with a slightly unsettling vibe?). team2films and CVP get an awful lot of testers, Just saying!.
Aha.. The Elite Reseller Network: The Direct Link to Crew
While Holdan holds the bulk inventory in its Derbyshire warehouses, they do not sell to the general public or individual camera operators. Instead, they supply an authorized network of specialist UK resellers. This network is generally divided into three distinct tiers:
The Cinema & Broadcast Specialists (The Giants)
- CVP (Creative Video Productions): Operating massive showrooms in London and Warwickshire, CVP is the absolute juggernaut of UK film gear retail. They cater directly to high-end cinematographers, BBC/ITV crews, and major rental houses.
- ProAV: Based in Oxfordshire, ProAV is a premier supplier that heavily pushes Blackmagic’s digital film and studio camera ecosystems, offering hands-on testing clinics for independent filmmakers.
The Corporate & Education Systems Integrators
- Jigsaw24 Media: Headquartered in Nottingham with a major London presence, Jigsaw24 focuses heavily on large-scale corporate infrastructure, post-production houses, and universities. They are famous for integrating massive Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve editing networks into enterprise environments.
The Prosumer & Content Creator Outlets
- Scan Computers & WEX Photo Video: These retailers cater to independent content creators, YouTubers, and boutique production companies. They specialise in shipping out Blackmagic's entry-level gear, like the ATEM Mini streaming switchers and DaVinci Resolve Studio activation keys, straight to end-users.