31 May 2021
In 2019 and early 2020 before Covid impacted travel, we conducted a large review with London insurers, brokers, insurtechs and large corporates as to the growing opportunities with regard to unmanned aerial vehicles/drones across the full gambit of the sectors Clyde & Co specialise in. What we learned via that due diligence, is that anyone who thinks of drones as simply another general aviation stream of business does not have an appreciation for what is coming. There is a whole world of automation (drones, driver-less cars, robotics, insurance contract formation) that depends upon Big Data and Artificial intelligence/machine learning and is supported by blockchain platforms, into which the drones piece sits as part of this transportation revolution.
Our focus over this last difficult travel restricted Covid year has been the preparation of a 23-chapter, 860-page, textbook which is being published under the title Drone Law and Policy: Global Development, Risks, Regulation and Insurance in circa August/September 2021 by Informa UK Limited. Chapters of the Book focus on:
(1) delivering value to the economy;
(2) healthcare and humanitarian efforts;
(3) law enforcement;
(4) the maritime sector;
(5) urban environment;
(6) global terrorism and security;
(7) aerodrome and aircraft safety;
(8) personal injury, property damage, trespass and nuisance;
(9) data protection, privacy and big data;
(10) cyber risks;
(11) product liability;
(12) global regulatory overview;
(13) transnational organisations;
(14) national regulatory structure: USA;
(15) national regulatory structure: Europe;
(16) national regulatory structure: United Kingdom;
(17) national regulatory structure: Australia;
(18) technology challenges in safety regulation;
(19) insurance: general;
(20) underwriting drone insurance;
(21) compulsory third party liability insurance;
(22) drones in the future.
The Book represents what we believe will be recognised as an extremely successful collaboration by 7 Clyde & Co partners and 16 associates across multiple sectors of the firm globally, along with 13 contributors from the insurance industry, law enforcement agencies, drone manufacturers, professional researchers and drone industry specialists.
In advance of the Book’s publication, we have produced various articles in leading journals and a major government submission to highlight in some further depth some of the critical issues that will need to be addressed by governments internationally with regards the ever growing usage and influence of drones. See:
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“Regulation, Risk and Insurance of Drones: An Urgent Global Accountability Imperative” [2019] Journal of Business Law 559 (Dr Anthony Tarr, Maurice Thompson, Prof. Julie-Anne Tarr).
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“Drones in Australia – Rapidly evolving regulatory and insurance challenges” (2019) 30 Insurance Law Journal 135 (Dr Anthony Tarr, Maurice Thompson, Prof Julie-Anne Tarr and Ron Bartsch).
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“Transport, Drones and Regulatory Challenges: Risk Accountability Meets COVID Fast Tracking of a Critical Industry” (2020) 48 ABLR 202 (Dr Anthony Tarr and Kirsty Paynter).
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“Compulsory liability insurance for drones in Australia” Accepted for publication 2021 Insurance Law Journal (Dr Anthony Tarr, Maurice Thompson, Prof. Julie-Anne Tarr).
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Submission to the Director, Airspace and Emerging Technologies, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, National Aviation Policy Issues Paper on Emerging Aviation Technologies September 2020. Submission dated 22 October 2020 (Maurice Thompson, Dr. Anthony Tarr and Prof. Julie-Anne Tarr)
Submission to the Director, Airspace and Emerging Technologies, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, National Aviation Policy Issues Paper on Emerging Aviation Technologies September 2020. Submission dated 22 October 2020 (Maurice Thompson, Dr. Anthony Tarr and Prof. Julie-Anne Tarr)
For further information, please contact:
Maurice Thompson, Partner, Clyde & Co
maurice.thompson@clydeco.com
