In a controversial move, Chinese drone maker DJI (Dà-Jiāng Innovations Science and Technology Co. Ltd.) has announced that customers who purchase their drones will be required to register the drone online with them otherwise the drones will not work as advertised.

Coming only days after a court found that the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone registration program was in breach of federal law, DJI’s forced registration program is being pitched as a way for the company to ensure users have “the correct set of geospatial information and flight functions for your aircraft, as determined by your geographical location and user profile.” In the event that DJI drone buyers don’t sign up online, their drones will be unable to access the geospatial info and flight functions, camera streaming will be disabled and the flight range of the drone will be limited to a 164-foot radius, up to 98 feet high.

Justifying the crippling of functions, sites such as Gizmodo claimed that the move is “tough but fair,” adding that “by impelling customers to log in to their DJI accounts and activate the latest firmware for their drones, the company will be able to sync up each device with the specific regulations of the country where it’s being operated.”

The move, while dubious by any reasonable standards, may have been implemented because of legal liability issues. In particular, there are questions about whether drone makers can be held liable when people who buy their products subsequently crash their drones, causing damage or injuries. Like the concept that gun manufacturers should be held responsible for the actions of those who purchase their guns, the argument appears spurious, although unlike firearms makers, drone makers are yet to be supported by an Act of Congress.

Those who do purchase DJI drones and actually want to use them to their fully advertised abilities are required to set up a DJI account here and should have the details of their drone’s unique manufacturing number handy while doing so. Oddly enough, the requirement doesn’t apply to customers in DJI’s home territory of China.

Photo: billmorrow/Flickr