Chinese drone maker DJI is presently the largest commercial drone manufacturer in the US. The brand’s market share may be decimated soon, not because of a competing brand but due to a recent court ruling bordering on patent violation.
The lawsuit was filed by Steptoe, a law firm representing Autel Robotics USA. The law firm was able to convince the US International Trade Commission’s chief administrative law judge that DJI had violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 through the act of importing and selling drones that violated US Patent 9,260,184, which is held by Autel.
The patent refers to a locking mechanism for locking drone rotors and was first filed in 2013. The thing is, Autel makes diagnostic equipment and won’t be directly affected if DJI halts sales of its drones in the US. But the ruling will mean DJI drones including the Mavic Pro, Mavic Pro Platinum, Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 2 Zoom, Mavic Air, and Spark. Autel has also filed a further petition to stop the sale of Phantom and Inspire drones as well.
In addition, the ruling also prohibits DJI from selling any of the models mentioned above which is still in stock in the US from July 2020. The ruling will face a 60-day review period before it becomes effective. During this period, DJI is required to put up a 9.9-percent bond.
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