Yesterday the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted six aerial photo and video companies exemptions from FAA regulations that—before now—wholesale banned the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial purposes in the United States. These companies now have FAA permission to use small drones “for the purpose of scripted, closed-set filming for the motion picture and television industry.”

These “Hollywood Exemptions” are likely to pave the way for other companies seeking to deploy their own drones for use in agriculture, electricity, oil and gas, conservation, logistics, and other sectors. Some of the restrictions and limitations attached to the “Hollywood Exemptions,” intended to mitigate risks from operating drones in urban areas and close to people, would seem inapplicable to many of these other applications. Nonetheless, the FAA’s decision is viewed as a major step for the UAS industry, which is expected to generate billions of dollars in economic activity once the current restrictions on commercial use are lifted.