------------------------------
                                  OMB APPROVAL
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  OMB Number           
                                                  Expires:        
                                                  Estimated average burden
                                                  hours per response ....... 0.5
                                                  ------------------------------

                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 4

                  STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed  pursuant to Section  16(a) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[  ] Check this box if no longer subject of Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5
     obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

================================================================================
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*

    BRILLIANT                        LAWRENCE            B.   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)

                                8 RALSTON AVENUE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    (Street)

    MILL VALLEY                       CA                 94491
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (City)                           (State)              (Zip)

================================================================================
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

     SoftNet Systems, Inc. (SOFN)
================================================================================
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)

================================================================================
4. Statement for Month/Year

     April 1999
================================================================================
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)


================================================================================
6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
   (Check all applicable)

   [XXX]  Director [ ] 10% Owner  [XXX]  Officer  (give  title  below) [ ] Other
   (specify below)

     CEO/President, Softnet

================================================================================
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)

   [XX]  Form  filed by one  Reporting  Person [ ] Form  filed by more  than one
   Reporting Person

================================================================================
           Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
                             or Beneficially Owned
================================================================================

                                  Page 1 of 3

<PAGE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                6.
                                                                 4.                              5.             Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Amount of      ship
                                                    3.           Disposed of (D)                 Securities     Form:     7.
                                                    Transaction  (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Beneficially   Direct    Nature of
                                      2.            Code         ------------------------------- Owned at End   (D) or    Indirect
1.                                    Transaction   (Instr. 8)                   (A)             of Month       Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          ------------     Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)     Code     V                  (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                   <C>            <C>      <C>    <C>         <C>    <C>      <C>            <C>           

Common Stock                          4/07/99        M               4,166       A      $6.6250                 D             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                          4/07/99        M              41,666       A      $8.7500  110,832        D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
* If the Form is  filed  by more  than one  Reporting  Person,  see  Instruction
  4(b)(v).

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
          owned directly or indirectly.

                                  Page 2 of 3

<PAGE>

FORM 4 (continued)

Table    II --  Derivative  Securities  Acquired,  Disposed of, or  Beneficially
         Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

================================================================================
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                          9.        10.    
                                                                                                          Number    Owner- 
                                                                                                          of        ship   
                    2.                                                                                    Deriv-    of     
                    Conver-                    5.                              7.                         ative     Deriv-   11.    
                    sion                       Number of                       Title and Amount           Secur-    ative    Nature 
                    of                         Derivative    6.                of Underlying     8.       ities     Secur-   of     
                    Exer-             4.       Securities    Date              Securities        Price    Bene-     ity:     In-    
                    cise     3.       Trans-   Acquired (A)  Exercisable and   (Instr. 3 and 4)  of       ficially  Direct   direct 
                    Price    Trans-   action   or Disposed   Expiration Date   ----------------  Deriv-   Owned     (D) or   Bene-  
1.                  of       action   Code     of(D)         (Month/Day/Year)            Amount  ative    at End    In-      ficial 
Title of            Deriv-   Date     (Instr.  (Instr. 3,    ----------------            or      Secur-   of        direct   Owner- 
Derivative          ative    (Month/  8)       4 and 5)      Date     Expira-            Number  ity      Month     (I)      ship   
Security            Secur-   Day/     ------   ------------  Exer-    tion               of      (Instr.  (Instr.   (Instr.  (Instr.
(Instr. 3)          ity      Year)    Code V    (A)   (D)    cisable  Date     Title     Shares  5)       4)        4)       4)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                 <C>      <C>      <C>  <C>  <C>  <C>      <C>    <C>      <C>       <C>     <C>      <C>       <C>          

Non-Qualified       $6.6250  4/7/99   M               4,166   (1)     3/5/08   Common     4,166            8,334    D      
Stock Option                                                                   Stock
(right to buy)                                                                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Qualified       $8.7500  4/7/99   M              41,666   (1)     4/6/08   Common    41,666           83,334    D      
Stock Option                                                                   Stock
(right to buy)                                                                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:

(1)  One third of the option vests after the first, second and third anniversary
     of the grant date.




/s/ Lawrence B. Brilliant                                        5-03-99
-----------------------------------------------            ---------------------
      **Signature of Reporting Person                             Date

**     Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal 
       Criminal Violations.

       See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedures.

       Alternatively,  this Form is permitted to be submitted to the  Commission
       in electronic  format at the option of the reporting  person  pursuant to
       ruke 101(b)(4) of Regulatiob S-T.


                                  Page 3 of 3
[{"type": "4", "sequence": "1", "description": "STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP", "secsgml_size_bytes": 11336}]
------------------------------
                                  OMB APPROVAL
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  OMB Number           
                                                  Expires:        
                                                  Estimated average burden
                                                  hours per response ....... 0.5
                                                  ------------------------------

                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 4

                  STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed  pursuant to Section  16(a) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[  ] Check this box if no longer subject of Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5
     obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

================================================================================
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*

    BRILLIANT                        LAWRENCE            B.   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)

                                8 RALSTON AVENUE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    (Street)

    MILL VALLEY                       CA                 94491
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (City)                           (State)              (Zip)

================================================================================
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

     SoftNet Systems, Inc. (SOFN)
================================================================================
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)

================================================================================
4. Statement for Month/Year

     April 1999
================================================================================
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

================================================================================
6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
   (Check all applicable)

   [XXX]  Director [ ] 10% Owner  [XXX]  Officer  (give  title  below) [ ] Other
   (specify below)

     CEO/President, Softnet

================================================================================
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)

   [XX]  Form  filed by one  Reporting  Person [ ] Form  filed by more  than one
   Reporting Person

================================================================================
           Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
                             or Beneficially Owned
================================================================================

                                  Page 1 of 3
6.
                                                                 4.                              5.             Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Amount of      ship
                                                    3.           Disposed of (D)                 Securities     Form:     7.
                                                    Transaction  (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Beneficially   Direct    Nature of
                                      2.            Code         ------------------------------- Owned at End   (D) or    Indirect
1.                                    Transaction   (Instr. 8)                   (A)             of Month       Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          ------------     Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)     Code     V                  (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                          4/07/99        M               4,166       A      $6.6250                 D             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                          4/07/99        M              41,666       A      $8.7500  110,832        D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================
* If the Form is  filed  by more  than one  Reporting  Person,  see  Instruction
  4(b)(v).

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
          owned directly or indirectly.

                                  Page 2 of 3
FORM 4 (continued)

Table    II --  Derivative  Securities  Acquired,  Disposed of, or  Beneficially
         Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

================================================================================
9.        10.    
                                                                                                          Number    Owner- 
                                                                                                          of        ship   
                    2.                                                                                    Deriv-    of     
                    Conver-                    5.                              7.                         ative     Deriv-   11.    
                    sion                       Number of                       Title and Amount           Secur-    ative    Nature 
                    of                         Derivative    6.                of Underlying     8.       ities     Secur-   of     
                    Exer-             4.       Securities    Date              Securities        Price    Bene-     ity:     In-    
                    cise     3.       Trans-   Acquired (A)  Exercisable and   (Instr. 3 and 4)  of       ficially  Direct   direct 
                    Price    Trans-   action   or Disposed   Expiration Date   ----------------  Deriv-   Owned     (D) or   Bene-  
1.                  of       action   Code     of(D)         (Month/Day/Year)            Amount  ative    at End    In-      ficial 
Title of            Deriv-   Date     (Instr.  (Instr. 3,    ----------------            or      Secur-   of        direct   Owner- 
Derivative          ative    (Month/  8)       4 and 5)      Date     Expira-            Number  ity      Month     (I)      ship   
Security            Secur-   Day/     ------   ------------  Exer-    tion               of      (Instr.  (Instr.   (Instr.  (Instr.
(Instr. 3)          ity      Year)    Code V    (A)   (D)    cisable  Date     Title     Shares  5)       4)        4)       4)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Qualified       $6.6250  4/7/99   M               4,166   (1)     3/5/08   Common     4,166            8,334    D      
Stock Option                                                                   Stock
(right to buy)                                                                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Qualified       $8.7500  4/7/99   M              41,666   (1)     4/6/08   Common    41,666           83,334    D      
Stock Option                                                                   Stock
(right to buy)                                                                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================
Explanation of Responses:

(1)  One third of the option vests after the first, second and third anniversary
     of the grant date.

/s/ Lawrence B. Brilliant                                        5-03-99
-----------------------------------------------            ---------------------
      **Signature of Reporting Person                             Date

**     Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal 
       Criminal Violations.

       See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedures.

       Alternatively,  this Form is permitted to be submitted to the  Commission
       in electronic  format at the option of the reporting  person  pursuant to
       ruke 101(b)(4) of Regulatiob S-T.

                                  Page 3 of 3