Copyright International Business Times
A growing US ban on drone giant DJI is forcing a fascinating response. The company is reportedly performing a strategic rebrand. Faced with mounting restrictions, the Chinese manufacturer is trying to bypass the rules by simply selling its proven technology under a series of new company names. The question now is: can changing the label on the box truly keep the market-leading tech in the air? Same Gear, New Name on the Box The Chinese technology leader DJI, widely recognised for its aerial vehicles and small cameras, could be circumventing American limitations via a clever change in brand names, as suggested by a video assessment from The Business of Play. The video, titled Is DJI's Rebranding a Desperate Attempt to Avoid the American Ban?, claims the largest drone maker globally has discovered methods to keep supplying its items using different labels — complete with the same look, operating systems, and even initial power-on noises. Presenter Cassius Clay begins with a notable example: the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, a compact camera available for approximately $700 (£524.75). An exact version of the device is listed on Amazon under the name Xtra Muse, available for about $500 (£374.82). 'The exact same camera, same specs, same design, same startup sound is being sold right now under a totally different name', Clay commented. He further noted that this same approach is evident with DJI's Osmo Action 5 Pro, which is also available online as the Xtra Edge Pro. This discovery indicates that DJI could be continuing its American trade under different names. This action takes advantage of gaps in the regulations instead of breaching the rules outright. Bypassing Blacklists with Corporate Clones When the US government acted to limit DJI due to supposed data-security and monitoring concerns, as reported by The New York Times, most people presumed the prohibition would completely remove the company from the American market. However, as Clay pointed out, 'what happens when the villain doesn't die? What if it just changes costumes?' He proposed that the products from DJI never actually disappeared from the market. Instead, 'a new brand on Amazon called Xtra' emerged, offering gadgets that are 'not inspired by the DJI Osmo Pocket — it is DJI, just wearing somebody else's name tag.' How DJI Uses Legal Loopholes to Win According to The Business of Play, DJI reacted to the limitations by silently creating a web of OEM collaborations — firms that were already making its equipment parts. Clay mentioned that these production facilities aided in the creation of 'new companies on paper', each possessing its own FCC approval number, brand name, and corporate paperwork. 'Legally, they're different companies', he explained. 'Technically, they're running DJI's latest firmware and software. It's corporate judo. The law bans the name, not the DNA.' The video indicates that proving these connections is incredibly difficult without 'hard evidence — 50% ownership, executive control, or written directions from DJI headquarters.' The Rise of a New Tech 'Shadow Fleet' The analysis points out a developing 'shadow economy' for technology, where keeping companies legally separate lets brands survive official prohibitions. Clay observed that 'Almost overnight, new companies appeared out of nowhere — Sky Rover, Skyani, Cogito, Jovastar, Fico.' These businesses offered drones that had 'identical hardware, identical apps, identical features.' He added that even the sound when the device turns on remained unchanged. 'That's not coincidence. That's continuity', he noted. The similarities visible on Amazon are impossible to ignore. Red Shark News and Yonko Design apparently verified that the 'Xtra Muse' and the Osmo Pocket 3 originate from the same assembly facility and use identical parts. 'You can ban DJI as a company', Clay observed, 'but you'd have to rewrite the law to ban DJI as a technology.' Why the Government Bans Fall Short The video places DJI's tactics within a greater trend of companies adjusting to challenges. TikTok, Huawei, and even American technology companies such as Apple and Meta have employed new names, offshoots, or front organisations to bypass local constraints. 'In the modern business landscape, brands are fluid but technology is persistent', Clay said. 'Once something's in the supply chain, it's basically immortal.' Clever Business, Not a Corporate Crime Rather than totally condemning DJI, The Business of Play presents the scenario as a lesson in corporate cleverness. 'DJI didn't beat the system with lawyers', Clay concluded. 'They beat it with leverage. They turned a government ban into a distribution strategy.' His final thought was that true innovation cannot be prohibited; it can only be given a different title. 'When you build something powerful enough', he said, 'the world keeps selling it, even when you're not allowed to.'
