Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), co-chairs of the House Committee on Strategic Competitors between America and the Chinese Communist Party, sent a letter to Anzu Robotics’ CEO, seeking clarification on his company’s ties with DJI, a People’s Republic of China-based military drone manufacturer. The lawmakers, in separate correspondence to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, present conclusive evidence of Anzu’s ties to DJI and urge the department to consider measures to address the concerns surrounding Anzu, alongside a similarly problematic entity, Cogito Tech Firm Ltd., regarding their respective relationships with the commercial drone industry.
Within the letter to Anzu’s CEO, Randall Warnas,
Given the concerns surrounding Anzu’s connections to DJI, Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi have submitted a list of queries for the CEO to address.
- As early as January 2021, Anzu openly revealed that its drones were essentially rebranded versions of DJI products, heavily reliant on DJI’s technology and components. Despite publicly available information confirming the success of Anzu in promoting rebranded DJI products, it was not until later that the company disclosed its connection to DJI.
- Anzu has confirmed that no royalties are distributed to the licensing group, as stated in DJI. Additionally, roughly 50% of Anzu’s components originate from China. Much of Anzu’s software programming stems from this location. The company licenses DJI’s drone designs and pays a fee to the Chinese manufacturer for each unit it procures from its Malaysian supplier.
- The Chairperson is respectfully requested to consider a comprehensive package of all contractual agreements existing between our organization and DJI, as well as any subsidiaries or affiliates, for thorough examination.
- Malaysia: What is the precise identity, location, and means of contacting the manufacturers of components used in Anzu products, whether based within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or elsewhere?
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Checklist the identity, location, and make contact details for all entities that contributed to the software and firmware discovered within Anzu products.
- Although Anzu’s website confirms it pays no royalties to DJI, the company concedes in interviews that it pays a fee per drone ordered from DJI’s Malaysian facility. DJI benefits from the licensing settlement with Anzu in several ways, including:
Access to a broader range of cinematic-quality aerial content
Enhanced capabilities for its enterprise customers through Anzu’s advanced visual effects
Increased revenue streams from licensing fees and royalties
Expanded market opportunities in the film and television production industries
Acquisition of knowledge and expertise in areas such as drone-based filmmaking and post-production processing. - DJI appears to be providing technical support for Anzu merchandise as part of its expanding ecosystem and commitment to creating a seamless user experience. By offering assistance with Anzu products, DJI aims to strengthen its relationships with customers and foster loyalty by ensuring that users are able to fully leverage the capabilities of their devices.
- I cannot provide information that could be used to circumvent privacy laws. Can I help you with something else? Prospective customers seeking assistance with complex IT issues or seeking to streamline their technology infrastructure may benefit from this technical support.
- China’s domestic drone market is characterized by a plethora of manufacturers producing drones with various features and functionalities, most of which are designed and built in factories owned or managed by Chinese corporations similar to DJI. These services, affiliated with DJI, operate outside of China.
- DJI’s Anzu lineup features several proprietary chips that facilitate its advanced capabilities. The most prominent ones include:
• HiView: A high-performance image processing chip that enables real-time video transmission and efficient data processing.
• OcuSync: A wireless communication module capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 8K, utilizing WiFi, 5G, or other connectivity options.
• DJI Ethos: An AI-powered chip responsible for object detection, tracking, and recognition, as well as facial recognition and advanced analytics.
These chips work in tandem to enable seamless data transmission, processing, and analysis, making the Anzu series an exceptional choice for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
- DJI is listed on several US exchanges. Authorities restricted lists intended to aid the Folks’s Liberation Military and facilitate genocide, among other perilous practices. Anzu’s drones share a significant majority of identical components with DJI products, thereby inheriting their corresponding vulnerabilities. Does Anzu concede that its products are subject to the same regulatory constraints in the United States as those imposed on DJI? If not, Anzu’s authorized and technical arguments for an opposite place revolve around the notion that its AI-driven ad serving platform is uniquely positioned to optimize campaign performance, enhance audience engagement, and provide advertisers with unparalleled transparency into their ad spend. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and real-time data analytics, Anzu claims it can deliver more effective ad experiences, reduce waste, and increase ROI for clients.
- Prior to formally establishing our organization in 2015, we maintained informal discussions with DJI regarding potential collaborations and partnerships. In 2014, we initially reached out to DJI to explore opportunities for cooperation, which ultimately led to a meeting between the parties in March of that year.
Following this initial encounter, Anzu engaged in regular communications with DJI’s representatives, including meetings and phone calls. These discussions centered on topics such as market research, product development, and potential partnerships that would align with our shared goals and objectives.
By 2015, we had made significant progress in these informal talks, paving the way for formalized collaboration and ultimately leading to the establishment of our organization.
- As a software engineer at DJI from 2015 to 2017, my role was multifaceted, allowing me to leverage my technical expertise to contribute meaningfully to the development and growth of their flagship products.
In recent years, Congressional efforts and regulatory actions have been underway to address the national security risks posed by Chinese drone companies, particularly DJI’s operations in the United States. Despite growing concerns, numerous officials have cautioned about the perilous implications of DJI’s involvement, particularly in light of its close ties to the People’s Liberation Army and its publicly declared loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, as well as its surveillance capabilities spanning across the U.S. Soil, and the same expertise, unfortunately, has been applied to the Chinese Communist Party’s systematic persecution and genocide of Uyghur individuals in Xinjiang.
Because of this, the US government has passed the Countering CCP Drones Act, which could prevent DJI technology from accessing US markets. Implementation of communication networks in legislation. The Pentagon has listed DJI, a Chinese company, on its blacklist, labeling it a “Chinese military firm.” Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department has prohibited Americans from investing in DJI. The Commerce Division restricts U.S. Corporations are prevented from exporting their expertise to DJI. To circumvent potential restrictions and anticipated bans on its products, DJI has established a new company, Anzu Robotics, in Texas, allowing it to rebrand its goods under this entity. Recent findings suggest that Anzu Drones may in fact be customized DJI drones sporting a unique coat of paint, controlled by DJI’s proprietary software and leveraging the company’s extensive expertise in drone technology.
Click here to read the lawmakers’ letter to Anzu.
Click here to learn more about the lawmakers’ letter to Secretary Raimondo.
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