Michael R. Jones
Michael Jones, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, has been fascinated by drones for years. He runs a one-man photography and videography business, and he branched out into drones around five years ago.
His services included what he calls “mapping.” For example, a property-management company might want an updated aerial shot of its land, so Michael would send out his drone, photograph the property piece by piece, and use software to stitch the pictures together to form a comprehensive aerial image.
The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors sent Michael and other drone operators letters warning them that they were practicing “unlicensed surveying” and threatened them with civil or criminal prosecution. Now Michael has teamed with the Institute for Justice to sue the Board and protect his First Amendment right to share useful information.
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