Prairie Village, Kansas, passes drone ordinance — $500 or jail time for violators

To prevent 'window peeping' Prairie Village advances ordinance that restricts drones

About two weeks ago, we first reported on Prairie Village, Kansas, and the new legislation to restrict the use of drones that they were working on. Now the municipality has actually passed the ordinance, and violators can be fined up to $500 or even face jail time.

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To prevent ‘window peeping,’ Prairie Village advances ordinance that restricts drones

To prevent 'window peeping' Prairie Village advances ordinance that restricts drones

Here we go again… To prevent ‘window peeping,’ Prairie Village, Kansas, advances an ordinance that restricts drones. If the law is approved next month, violators can face up to a $500 fine or one month in jail. Just to be clear, current privacy laws already cover ‘window peeping’ concerns. Whether the camera is handheld or attached to a drone makes little difference. Furthermore, the FAA is the only body in the US that controls the airspace, as per their own words. However, time and time again, we see towns making up their own drone restriction rules, and the same goes in Prairie Village, Kansas.

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Fort Wayne City Council considers limits on drone flying

Today, the Fort Wayne City Council will consider a new ordinance that will put restrictions on when and where drones can be flown. The ordinance would restrict drone flying within a 5,500-foot radius of the Superior Lofts building or within a 500-yard horizontal radius of, or anywhere above, a public event without first notifying the city.

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District Court dismisses Autel’s antitrust counterclaims against DJI

Last week, Judge Leonard P. Stark of the District Court of Delaware dismissed Autel’s counterclaims in a Memorandum Opinion. The judge sided with DJI contending that Autel has not alleged facts that plausibly support any of its antitrust counterclaims. After reviewing the parties’ briefing the Court granted DJI’s motion and Autel’s antitrust counterclaims, both federal and state, have been dismissed.

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New U.S. law pushes use of drones to fight wildfires

Last Tuesday, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill into law that pushes federal agencies to start using drones to fight wildfires. The details are described in Sec. 1114. titled “Wildfire technology modernization” of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. Not only is this new law good for the use of drones in fighting wildfires, but it may also help the use of unmanned aircraft in other industries, such as deliveries by drone, search and rescue missions, and the use of drones for agriculture, inspection and construction.

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The Uniform Law Commission threatens drone use and innovation

There’s a small but very influential group of attorneys from across the country, called the Uniform Law Commission, a non-profit, American unincorporated association. Their members are appointed by state and their goal is to “to bring clarity and stability to critical areas of statutory law across jurisdictions.” One of their committees is currently working to draft “a uniform act or model law addressing tort liability and defenses associated with the unique use of aerial drones,” the so-called “Tort Law Relating to Drones.” This model legislation could potentially have far-reaching consequences for the drone industry as it aims to protect the privacy of landowners.

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