DJI Loses Lawsuit Over Classification As Chinese Military Company

DJI Loses Lawsuit Over Classification As Chinese Military Company

Drone giant DJI just faced a major legal blow. DJI loses lawsuit over classification as Chinese military company after a U.S. judge upheld the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to keep it on a list of firms linked to China’s defense sector. Image Credits:Darrell Etherington Why The Judge Ruled Against DJI U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled that the DoD had provided “substantial evidence” showing DJI contributes to China’s defense industrial base. He pointed to examples like modified DJI drones being used in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Judge Friedman emphasized that whether DJI prohibits military use in its policies is irrelevant. What mattered was that the technology itself has clear military applications — both in theory and in practice. Partial Rejection Of DoD’s Arguments Interestingly, the judge did reject some of the DoD’s other rationales for listing DJI. Still, the ruling was enough to keep the company on the controversial list. This isn’t DJI’s first challenge from …