In summary, the legal and regulatory landscape for the operation of commercial and recreational drones is far from clear. Drone manufacturers and other stakeholders, including retailers of consumer products, food, and health products, must oversee court decisions and the patchwork of laws and regulations at the local, state, and federal levels. As alleged in today`s indictment, shortly after deactivating Phantom Secure, Sky Global took a “ask nothing/do nothing” approach to its customers. This policy allowed Sky Global to assert plausible denial of the activities of its clients that they knew or had reason to believe were involved in illegal activities, including international drug trafficking. It is clear that it is this need to protect both the reputation and distinctiveness of the Sky brand in Europe that has led to SKW SKYWORTH Europe S.A.`s legal challenge — the risk of trademark infringement by European customers confusing the two brands is simply too great to ignore. This position was described by one of the key players in the Sky IP team who spoke after the verdict. License our cutting-edge legal content to strengthen your thought leadership and brand. “The indictment of Sky Global`s CEO and principal distributor is another blow to cross-border crime,” said Suzanne Turner, FBI Special Agent for the San Diego office. Eap and Herdman allegedly offered a service designed to allow criminals to evade law enforcement, trade drugs and commit violent crimes undetected. Similar to our investigation into encrypted service provider Phantom Secure in 2018, the San Diego FBI targeted this Canadian company, which also exploited encryption to obscure law enforcement agencies around the world. With these high-profile cases, we`ve shown that the FBI is focused on investigating international criminal organizations from above so we can stop entire illegal operations — and the technological infrastructure that comes with them. Today, the FBI has removed another illegal secret communication network used by criminals in the United States, Canada and around the world. ISC Turner added, “I would like to thank our partners at the Department of Justice as well as our Canadian law enforcement partners for their incredible work on this case.

“As technology advances, so does criminal sophistication, but so do the new tools for police to fight crime,” says Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, the officer in charge of RCMP Criminal Investigations in British Columbia for Federal Services, Investigative Services and Organized Crime. “The RCMP will continue to adopt new technologies and strategies to keep our communities safe. Working with our international law enforcement partners, such as the FBI and DEA on this case, has become an integral part of the ever-evolving fight against organized crime. The international operation to seize Sky Global`s infrastructure required the cooperation and efforts of law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada. In addition, Europol announced on 10 March 2021 that judicial and law enforcement authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands had intercepted Sky Global`s servers and monitored hundreds of millions of messages from Sky Global users. The European investigation has led to hundreds of arrests, the seizure of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine, hundreds of firearms and millions of euros. The indictment alleges that Sky Global employees used digital currencies, including Bitcoin, to facilitate illegal transactions on the company`s website, protect the anonymity of its customers, and facilitate the laundering of customers` ill-gotten gains. According to the indictment, Sky Global employees also created and maintained shell companies to conceal proceeds from the sale of their encryption services and devices. Zurich-based subsidiary Sky International AG celebrated an early victory in an ongoing dispute with another Swiss company. The European trademark infringement judgment is directed against SKW SKYWORTH Europe S.A., a television manufacturer.

The EU Trademark Court`s decision imposed an interim injunction on Sky International AG, which ordered SKW SKYWORTH Europe S.A. to prohibit offering, advertising or advertising SKYWORTH-branded TVs. This applies across the EU and it appears that the judge`s decision was based on a convincing argument that the use of the SKYWORTH trademark could confuse customers and thus harm the Sky brand itself. “This case is another example of how IRS-CI is working closely with our international partners to track money and uncover significant criminal activity,” said Special Constable Ryan Korner of the local Los Angeles office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The indictment alleges that Sky Global`s network has facilitated international crime around the world, but just as criminals know no borders, nor do federal law enforcement. The joint efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Global Tax Enforcement (J5) ensure that this type of illegal behavior is identified, prosecuted and ultimately prosecuted globally. “The indictment alleges that Sky Global generated hundreds of millions of dollars by providing a service that allowed criminal networks around the world to hide their international drug trafficking activities from law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.

“Companies that do this are perpetuating the deadliest drug epidemic in our country`s history. This groundbreaking investigation should send a serious message to companies that believe they can help criminals in their illegal activities. I want to thank the prosecutors in this case, Meghan Heesch and Joshua Mellor, as well as our federal law enforcement partners at the FBI, DEA, IRS, and the United States. The Marshal`s service, for their excellent work in this matter. In 2012, in response to increased use of drones in the private sector, Congress mandated the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop a plan for the safe integration of commercial and recreational drones into the national airspace system. Yet, 75 years after Causby, laws regarding drone jurisdiction, airspace property rights, and privacy are still evolving, both because the federal government is still developing important aspects of its drone safety requirements and because there are few court decisions addressing the issue. if these requirements are compatible with legal authorities. (16.09.2020 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on drones and jurisdiction, property and privacy legal issues).

Count 2: Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Maximum penalty: life imprisonment At least 70,000 Sky Global aircraft are in use worldwide, including in the United States. The indictment alleges that for more than a decade, Sky Global has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits by facilitating the criminal activities of transnational criminal organizations and protecting these organizations from prosecution. What impact can potential Fifth Amendment-protected property rights held by landowners in “immediate range” airspace above their property have on federal, state, local, and tribal power over low-altitude drone operations? According to the indictment, Sky Global`s devices are specifically designed to prevent law enforcement agencies from actively monitoring communications between members of transnational criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. As part of its services, Sky Global warrants that messages stored on its devices can and will be deleted remotely by the Company if the device is seized or otherwise compromised by law enforcement. Where does this information come from? Most of the information on this page comes from the Solicitors Regulation Authority. However, some information may have been processed directly by the professional, the company or its representative. Learn more. What responsibility drone operators and federal, state, local, and tribal governments may have to landowners under state precedents for conducting, regulating, or anticipating government regulation of drone operations in low-altitude airspace, and whether landowners can exclude drones from their overlying airspace; and in 2018, the directors of another communications encryption company, Phantom Secure, were indicted in the Southern District of California for their role in providing encrypted devices to criminal groups. Phantom Secure CEO Vincent Ramos pleaded guilty and admitted that he and his co-conspirators facilitated the distribution of drugs around the world by providing encrypted communication devices designed to thwart law enforcement.