Technology and Intellectual Property Rights: Implications, Challenges, and Future Directions

Abstract

This article explores how technology and intellectual property rights (IPR) have changed and are changing in their interrelation, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that are created by new innovations. It follows the history of IPR since the Berne Convention of 1886 to the confusions of the modern digital age, where piracy, patent trolling, and cross-border enforcement remain a matter of concern. Specific attention is given to disruptive technologies, i.e., artificial intelligence, blockchain, and 3D printing, which challenge traditional ideas of authorship, ownership, and enforcement. The paper employs an interdisciplinary approach to study in a qualitative manner, which is based on a literature review, case studies, and doctrinal analysis, as well as recent judicial cases of AI-generated works. It proposes a dynamic and harmonized law made to suit a breakneck pace of technological change and, at the same time, strike a balance between the rights of creators and knowledge available to the masses. In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the necessity of international cooperation, moral reasoning, and the incorporation of technological resources into IP management to attain sustainable innovation.