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V O L . X X I N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5 26 L AW F O C U S additional, more fl exible regulations for recreational drones that weigh less than 4.4 pounds. e new rules are expected to take eff ect by next June. In the meantime, an FAA task force faces a Nov. 20 deadline to come up with safety recommenda- tions that are likely to include new registration rules for recreational small drones that could be fast- tracked for implementation before year's end. e bottom line, as Bosse sees it, is that legal guidelines for the commercial and recreational use of drones are very much in fl ux and will be for the foreseeable future. "Right now, and for at least the next several months, we're in a gray area," he says regarding legal questions that include guidelines governing how registration of small drones might be handled, whether requirements will be retroactive and what will be done with data col- lected during the registration process. Drone law boot camp Given how fl uid the FAA's regulatory process is proving to be, Bosse says Bernstein Shur's drone team realized the traditional approach of hosting seminars and publishing legal white papers was ill- suited as a way of educating clients and the general public about all the legal issues involving drones. at's where the team's online "Drone Law Boot Camp" blog alerts, advertised via Twitter, comes into play. "I'm a big proponent of using social media," Bosse says, noting that with the old-school approach a legal practice group might reach 20 people attending its seminar, while a blog post has the potential of reach- ing hundreds and even thousands of people once it's uploaded to the law fi rm's website. e team's goal, he says, is to provide at least weekly updates that will try to keep pace with the rapidly evolving legal and regulatory issues surrounding civilian drones. e team's mix of legal expertise already is evident in the four postings made since the blog's launch in October: ¡ Libby explains in her Oct. 27 post the likelihood that a new registration system will be imple- mented in December. She notes that one intent will be "to foster accountability by allowing the authorities to track drones back to their users." ¡ Bosse, the go-to authority on the use of drones in the construction and real estate arenas, outlines in his Nov. 2 post the FAA's draft regulations on the commercial use of drones, highlighting the "333 Exemption" that gives the FAA authority to authorize commercial drone uses on a case-by- case basis until the fi nal regulations are in place. ¡ Saucier, chairman of the fi rm's municipal and gov- ernmental services group and co-chairman of the land use and environmental practice group, brings the issue closer to home with his Nov. 6 post not- ing that "state and local governments have begun to enact laws and ordinances to regulate the use of drones to protect the privacy and safety of their residents." He points out to a new law enacted by the Maine Legislature this year with bipartisan support that "prohib its law enforcement agencies from using a weaponized drone, and from using a drone in a criminal investigation without a warrant, with certain exceptions. " IT specialist Jason Levasseur brings legitimate street cred to the team. He's owned and operated a drone equipped with a GoPro camera as a serious hobby for two years. As an early adopter, he came into his knowledge by using the Internet and by compar- ing notes with other drone hobbyists. Admitting that some drone hobbyists are "appalled" by the likelihood of greater regulations being imposed on their drone fl ying, Levasseur understands the reasons behind the FAA's fast-track push for registration and the increased attention it's paying to both commercial and civilian drone users. "I welcome having as much information and guidelines that I can get," he says. Bosse, Libby and Saucier anticipate their clients have similar feelings, whether it's wondering just how a municipality might prepare for Amazon and Google's announced plans to use drones for E-commerce and package delivery, or the labor and privacy issues that might arise when drones are used to monitor construction jobsites to ensure safe practices or to protect against theft of equipment. "I like to be part of evolving law in general," says Saucier. " is happens to be a new and exciting area for us right now. It's really evolving quite rapidly." J MC, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at @ . and @ JM Lawyers and law firms have turned to Drummond Woodsum attorneys Jerry Crouter, Jerry Crouter, Jerry Crouter Toby Dilworth and and Melissa Hewey when they need legal advice and when they need legal advice and representation. 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