Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Unmanned Aircraft Opportunities and Risks

By Lisa Norrett Himes, Raymond B. Biagini and Dane B. Jaques
November 30, 2014

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) technology has reached critical mass. There are now very sophisticated aircraft that are easy to fly, cost less than a new television, and have the ability to record and broadcast video and other data. YouTube is full of videos showing UASs doing everything from delivering beer to recording events to videotaping real estate and natural attractions. While this may sound like a classic American success story, there is a fundamental problem: Most of this activity is illegal in the U.S., with no formal rules beyond a blanket prohibition on commercial operations. An additional challenge is predicting how existing tort laws will be applied to UASs. This article addresses both sets of issues.

Regulatory Landscape for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Second Circuit Reinforces Bankruptcy Code Settlement Payment Safe Harbor Image

The Second Circuit affirmed the lower courts' judgment that a "transfer made … in connection with a securities contract … by a qualifying financial institution" was entitled "to the protection of ... §546 (e)'s safe harbor ...."