Intellectual Property Rights And The Digital Economy: Challenges Of Enforcement In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence And Blockchain
- IJLLR Journal
- May 12
- 1 min read
Sudiksha Kumari, LL.M, IILM University.
ABSTRACT
The advent of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technologies has radically transformed the digital economy, offering new paradigms for content creation, distribution, and ownership. However, these advancements also pose significant challenges to the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. This paper critically examines the doctrinal foundations of IPR enforcement in the context of emerging technologies, while also presenting empirical data to assess the efficacy of current legal frameworks.
Doctrinally, the research explores traditional principles of copyright, patent, and trademark law, and interrogates their applicability in digital contexts driven by autonomous AI-generated content and decentralized blockchain infrastructures. Particular attention is given to issues such as authorship attribution in AI- generated works, the traceability of infringement in decentralized networks, and the jurisdictional complexities arising from transnational digital transactions. The analysis reveals a growing tension between established legal doctrines and the decentralized, borderless nature of digital innovation.
Empirically, the paper reviews enforcement trends through case law analysis, international treaty developments, and quantitative data on IP infringement reported across digital platforms. It also includes stakeholder interviews and surveys involving legal practitioners, tech developers, and IP owners, which highlight gaps in awareness, enforcement mechanisms, and regulatory harmonization.
This study concludes that while AI and blockchain technologies offer potential tools for IPR protection—such as smart contracts and automated rights management—they also necessitate urgent legal reform. It argues for a hybrid regulatory approach that blends technological solutions with doctrinal evolution, and proposes policy recommendations aimed at strengthening cross- border enforcement, legal certainty, and adaptive regulatory frameworks.
Keywords: WIPO, EU Copyrights, Trips, Digital Millennium Copyright, Intellectual property.
