The FCC is going after third-party companies it suspects of introducing rebranded DJI drones and cameras into the United States.

FCC sues alleged DJI shell companies
Several rebranded DJI-type devices are on sale in the United States
New DJI products were banned in the United States last year

Since last December, new DJI devices have been banned in the United States because the drone and camera maker is on the Covered List, a list of foreign manufacturers deemed to fall short of safety and security standards put in place by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

However, the FCC believes that DJI is bringing products into the United States through differently branded shell companies, and it’s now taking action: As The Verge reports, eight of those companies have been hit with $25,000 fines, and further investigations by authorities are underway.

The companies in question are Cogito Tech, Fikaxo Technology, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact Robot, WaveGo Tech and Xtra Technology. You can check out Cogito Tech’s range of drones on its website here and decide for yourself how similar or unlike they are to DJI’s offerings.

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DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vlogging camera in a person's hand on a city street, screen shot horizontally

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4P (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

These companies have so far not responded to the FCC’s questions, and it appears the regulator is now stepping up its efforts to get answers. Some of the testing labs these devices go through are also being targeted.

The Verge also reports that gadgets previously approved for sale before the ban took effect have now disappeared from the FCC’s website – gadgets including the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro. However, there is no indication that DJI products already sold in the United States will stop working or be recalled.

For any electronic device using radio frequencies to be sold in the United States, from phones to drones, it must be approved by the FCC – which is why we receive so many hardware leaks detailed in FCC filings. No company on the covered list will get this approval, which essentially means their products are banned.

Although DJI has called its ban unfair, it has yet to comment on the allegations surrounding these so-called shell companies – and it appears the companies themselves aren’t being forthcoming at all either. We have contacted DJI for comment on the report and will update this story if we receive a response.

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