Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been populating our skies with increasing frequency over the past decade. In fact, while the number of manned aerial vehicles registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is about 300,000, the number of UAVs registered with the FAA has surpassed 1,000,000 (and that’s excluding all of the UAVs that aren’t registered).
Many of these drones are used for recreation (like this), but more are starting to be used for other purposes, particularly commercial use (like this). Currently, there are roughly 40,000 pilots who fly over 100,000 commercial drones, and that number is expected to rise to 500,000 by 2021. With over 100,000,000 online purchases a year weighing less than five pounds, companies like Amazon are investing more and more in commercial drone technology for deliveries. But despite the benefits that drones bring through recreational and commercial use, privacy and safety remain big concerns for citizens and governments, and effective regulations can be tricky to construct. For instance, how exactly do you try an individual accused of inappropriately hovering a drone over a neighborhood pool party? How do you prevent a terrorist from rigging an explosive to a drone and then flying it into a crowd of people? These are just a few concerns that emerge from the evolution of popular technology like this. Along with the widespread development and use of popular technology such as drones, so too will come additional technology that will be developed and used for generations to come. Perhaps you or someone you know will be at the forefront of creating this new invention.
If that time comes, then you need to have professional legal assistance to clear your invention with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as any other hurdles that come your way.And that’s where we come in. At Sumsion Business Law, we have the professionalism and know how to help you or someone you know legally secure new inventions. Who knows, perhaps you’ll be the one to develop an invention as cutting-edge as drone technology. Give us a call today to find out more about our legal assistance with your intellectual property and technology needs.
