Lock manufacturer files lawsuit against social media lock picker

A Florida-based lock manufacturer, Proven Industries, has filed a lawsuit against Trevor McNally, a social media creator with millions of followers, after McNally posted videos appearing to show how easily Proven’s locks could be opened using a piece of an aluminum can

According to court documents, McNally first published a video on April 3, 2025, that incorporated about 15 seconds from Proven’s promotional video. In this video, McNally is seen demonstrating how to bypass the lock, which Proven claims creates a false impression that their product is trivially easy to defeat.

The video, titled “”$130 lock bypassed with a can” has been taken down from McNalley’s social media accounts due to a copyright claim by Proven Industries, Inc. In its complaint, Proven Industries said, “The reproduction of Plaintiff’s copyrighted material was not necessary to convey any legitimate message, and was instead included to improperly attract attention, ridicule Plaintiff, and frame the lock product as insecure and trivial.”

The complaint states:

The McNally Video, with its editing, timing and context, gives consumers the false or at least misleading, impression that shimming Proven’s lock is mere “child’s play.”

In the McNally Video, McNally appears swinging his legs and sipping from an apple juice box, conveying to the purchasing public that bypassing Plaintiff’s lock is simple, trivial, and even comical.

Proven alleges that McNally failed to disclose critical information, such as “that successfully bypassing the lock required prior disassembly of the product to examine its internal components, including the position of the plunger, and to manufacture a custom-fit shim with precise notch dimensions.”

After Proven filed DMCA takedown requests, McNally posted three additional videos targeting more of their products. Here’s one.

And here’s a response video from Proven Industries.

The conflict has escalated to the point where, according to a more recent filing, “Defendant’s followers obtained the personal number of Plaintiff’s President and published it on the comments of McNally’s Videos. As a result, viewers have sent threatening texts, including racial slurs and hate speech to Proven’s employees and their families.”

The Lockpicking subreddit is all abuzz about the case.

Previously:
• Lockpick earrings
• Lockpicking lawyer likes a lock
• Lockpicking lawyer meets a ‘Pickproof’ lock
• HOWTO convert an Oral B flosser into a vibrating lockpick