Legal leaders warn AI fuels rising IP infringement threat
Legal executives worry that artificial intelligence tools are making intellectual property violations more common, new research from CSC shows. Nine out of 10 legal professionals expressed alarm about online infringement threats, with 85 percent reporting more violations during the past year and 90 percent anticipating further increases ahead.
Counterfeiting, trademark misuse, and brand impersonation rank as the most frequent violation types, according to the IP Frontiers Report 2025. About 88 percent of survey participants said AI systems are driving growth in infringement cases, while 93 percent fear AI-created fake materials like logos and images could seriously damage their companies. Fraudulent domain names often serve as the starting point for large-scale infringement operations, yet just 16 percent of legal departments maintain complete oversight of their domain portfolios despite 76 percent having management strategies.
Budget increases for brand protection and enforcement are expected by 67 percent of respondents over three years, with 56 percent already contracting outside help for infringement monitoring. Ian McConnel, chief legal officer at CSC, said defensive approaches alone no longer suffice as fraudsters use inexpensive, rapid tools for brand impersonation at scale.
