The EUIPO, via its European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, has recently published the first IP Infringement and Enforcement Tech Watch Discussion Paper, drafted with the support of the Impact of Technology Expert Group of the Observatory.

Over the last 30 years, emerging and disruptive technologies have become increasingly important as regards IP protection, but they are also used as tools to infringe IP as well as instruments to enforce it. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of this kind of technologies (such as robotics, 3D printing, nanotech, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and blockchain) as well as consider their impact in the future protection, infringement and enforcement of IP.

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ECTA, via a number of its Committees’ members, actively supports the work of the Observatory to develop tools and promote best practices in the field of IP.