This posting is specific for Drone Pilots in the USA under the authority of the FAA…
I have been an active participant on several Web sites dedicated to Drones, specifically: DJI Forum, MavicPilot, DronePilot, PhantomHelp, and Pilot Institute's Community 101 and one question that keeps getting asked over and over again and each time receiving a different version of two answers is "Yes you can…" and "No you can't…" and the rational behind the various answers ranges from the astute to the inane…
So, I decided to finally go to the "Horse's Mouth" (the "FAA UAS Support Center") and get a Definitive Answer that you can take to the Proverbial Bank, so to speak…
My Email to the FAA UAS Support Center is on the bottom of the attachment and their reply is on the top.
The deciding factor of whether you can move your fun photos and videos from your Family Social Media accounts where you shot them recreationally to keep Grandma up to date… Is "Intent…"
They use the storyline of "Big Foot" where you and some friends go camping in the woods one weekend and you take your drone to get some imagery of the scenery. You have no intent to use that drone imagery for anything other than your personal enjoyment.
A few days after your camping trip you are looking at the video and to your astonishment, you have captured imagery of Big Foot. Before you know it the National Enquirer is at your door with a huge financial offer for the imagery.
Can you sell it? You did not take it with the intent of spotting Big Foot, so the FAA is unlikely to try to prevent you selling your imagery.
The byword is "Unlikely" because trying to disprove your original "Intent" is an exceedingly high hurtle to prove otherwise. They do not have the Time, Money, or Inclination to pursue cases like this when the most probably "punishment" would be an order to remove the offending video…
So, my take on this is if all your old photos and videos were originally shot for your personal enjoyment, then they are all fair game to be Monetize after you acquire your Part 107 UAS Certification…
I have been an active participant on several Web sites dedicated to Drones, specifically: DJI Forum, MavicPilot, DronePilot, PhantomHelp, and Pilot Institute's Community 101 and one question that keeps getting asked over and over again and each time receiving a different version of two answers is "Yes you can…" and "No you can't…" and the rational behind the various answers ranges from the astute to the inane…
So, I decided to finally go to the "Horse's Mouth" (the "FAA UAS Support Center") and get a Definitive Answer that you can take to the Proverbial Bank, so to speak…
My Email to the FAA UAS Support Center is on the bottom of the attachment and their reply is on the top.
The deciding factor of whether you can move your fun photos and videos from your Family Social Media accounts where you shot them recreationally to keep Grandma up to date… Is "Intent…"
They use the storyline of "Big Foot" where you and some friends go camping in the woods one weekend and you take your drone to get some imagery of the scenery. You have no intent to use that drone imagery for anything other than your personal enjoyment.
A few days after your camping trip you are looking at the video and to your astonishment, you have captured imagery of Big Foot. Before you know it the National Enquirer is at your door with a huge financial offer for the imagery.
Can you sell it? You did not take it with the intent of spotting Big Foot, so the FAA is unlikely to try to prevent you selling your imagery.
The byword is "Unlikely" because trying to disprove your original "Intent" is an exceedingly high hurtle to prove otherwise. They do not have the Time, Money, or Inclination to pursue cases like this when the most probably "punishment" would be an order to remove the offending video…
So, my take on this is if all your old photos and videos were originally shot for your personal enjoyment, then they are all fair game to be Monetize after you acquire your Part 107 UAS Certification…
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LoudThunder
LoudThunder
