CSC Report Highlights Rising IP Infringement Risks Amid Domain…

Event summary

96% of senior IP law executives report concerns over IP infringements, with 90% citing AI as a key enabler of online IP risks.
ICANN's latest round of gTLD applications closed on August 12, 2026, expanding the domain namespace and increasing management challenges.
Top concerns include impersonation (40%), phishing (39%), and domain name abuse (39%), with regulatory penalties cited by 66% of respondents.
27% of respondents reported a significant increase in IP infringements over the past year, with 29% anticipating further rises.
59% of organizations outsource up to half of infringement monitoring activities to third parties.

The big picture

CSC's report underscores the growing complexity of IP protection as the domain ecosystem expands, driven by ICANN's new gTLD applications. The rise of AI-enabled infringements and the operational challenges of managing a broader domain space highlight the need for coordinated strategies across legal, IT, and security teams. This trend reflects broader industry shifts toward digital asset protection and regulatory compliance in an increasingly interconnected online environment.

What we're watching

Domain Management: How organizations will adapt domain governance programs to address the expansion of the domain namespace.
AI Utilization: The pace at which AI adoption will accelerate for IP protection, given current moderate usage rates.
Regulatory Risks: Whether increased regulatory scrutiny will force companies to prioritize compliance over growth strategies.