Drone operator Threatened with jail for helping local businesses Make maps

[cmj0929]

Looks as though there’s a battle brewing in NC on if taking photos of land is protected by the 1st amendment

 

[THE CYBORG]

Big difference between a photo & a map.
Looks like the surveyors have the monopoly & don’t want anyone else to get the cash they are making.

 

[Meta4]

Looks as though there’s a battle brewing in NC on if taking photos of land is protected by the 1st amendment

The "Institute for Justice" (whatever that is), is being overly simplistic and misleading with this video.
He's not being threatened with jail for helping local businesses.
He's in trouble for offering surveying services without a licence, not for "helping local businesses".
It's hard to imagine that actual jail time is really a possibility and the video makes no mention of any potential jailtime at all.

It's not a first amendment issue.
It about whether or not he's offering surveying services.
And whether surveyors are the only people allowed to offer surveying services.

It's not as if drone nerds are the only people that can do drone mapping.
Surveyors have been big adopters of drone technology.

 

[maintenanceguy]

I agree, the issue is whether making a photo-map is surveying. If he was ascertaining property boundaries, right of ways, or other features from legal descriptions of a property, it's surveying. If he's simply documenting construction progress, it's not.

Having worked in large commercial construction projects and having some experience with the various licensing boards in NJ, I would suspect that the state is practicing protectionism and is willing to go beyond what the law actually allows to secure work for the members of the licensing board - who are all going to be surveyors.

 

[Mac282]

I worked for a surveyor years ago. What this guy does is no where close to providing a "plat of survey" for his clients.

 

[tlswift58]

It's North Carolina! Plain and simple. We have some good laws, but also have many bad ones.

Know nothing about surveying and what he is or is not doing - yet if he is being paid and doesn't have the 107 - then he is in trouble.

So many frivolous lawsuits to stop someone from doing some good - if he was doing it for free and within the boundaries of the rules.

 

[AZDave]

Looks as though there’s a battle brewing in NC on if taking photos of land is protected by the 1st amendment

Doesn't sound like a First Amendment issue to me.