DJI has been fighting the US Department of Defense’s label as a "Chinese military company" since late 2022 – and now the drone maker has just earned a small win in the US Court of Appeals with a partial reversal.
On Friday, the US Court of Appeals reaffirmed some of the lower court’s decision in DJI’s lawsuit over its placement on the Department of Defense blacklist.
While the court did not agree with DJI’s claims over a violation of due process and claims of selectively enforcing rules, the court did give it some hope on one key issue: whether or not DJI "contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base."
The US Court of Appeals decision, importantly, doesn’t explicitly agree with DJI, but sent the case back to the lower courts because the earlier case did not consider classified documents, using instead the unclassified report that had every word in the section entitled "DJI Contributes to the Chinese Defense Industrial Base" redacted.
"There is, in other words, no publicly stated rationale for why the Secretary believes DJI contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base," the court's opinion reads.
While the courts have only granted a partial reversal and sent the case back for further consideration, DJI says that it welcomed the decision.
"The Court’s finding that the public record contained insufficient evidence is a significant step toward correcting an unjustified designation," A DJI representative said in a statement.
"The decision reinforces what DJI has consistently maintained: DJI is not a military company.
"We are a privately held company that has revolutionized the consumer and commercial drone markets, consistently condemned the use of our products in combat, and taken active steps to prevent it.
"We remain committed to the responsible development of civilian technologies, from drones to handheld imaging products. We look forward to continuing to set the record straight as the case moves forward."
The court case stems from a 2022 decision to place DJI on the Department of Defense blacklist, which prevents some government agencies from using DJI products.
The case isn’t the only US legal battle that DJI is facing.
The drone-maker has also filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission restrictions that prevent new DJI products from obtaining the necessary approval to be sold in the US.
You may also like…
Browse the best drones for photography and videography, or the best drones for beginners.
