Erris's Journal: BBC Reports Brick Patch Problems for Unaltered IPhones.

BBC reports successful bricking of unlocked iPhones and collateral damage to unmodified units.

... owners are reporting on technology blogs and Apple's own forums that the update is deleting contacts information, as well as photos and music, on iPhones that have not been modified in any way.

This punishment demonstrates the contempt ATT and Apple have for their customers. Non free software is always like that because owners reserve the "right" to terminate your use at any time for any reason.