"But Bryant Walker Smith, a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law who has studied the legal impact of self-driving cars, said that some of the bills could protect automakers from ride-sharing competition from companies such as Google, Apple or other technology developers.
Specifically, Senate bills 995 and 996 expressly authorize "on-demand automated motor vehicle networks" that involve a recognized motor vehicle manufacturer in some capacity. As originally drafted, only these manufacturers would have been eligible to "participate" in those networks, Smith said.
In other words, General Motors could run an "on-demand automated motor vehicle network" while Google and Uber could not.
"The original version read like it was written by or for an auto manufacturer," Smith said. "Traditionally, making cars has largely been limited to really big companies that have a lot of resources and incentives to be safe. What automated driving presents is a return to the day when anyone can create a new technology in their garage and compete with existing modes of transportation."
Smith also cited language in Senate Bill 927 that appears to target hackers who want to interfere with the functioning and navigation of autonomous cars."
- Date Published:09/07/2016
- Original Publication:Detroit Free Press