Gen Z’s Awareness and Perception of Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Landscape

Abstract

In this highly modernised world, despite the consumer trying to be more and more cautious about his choices towards the authenticity of the products he purchases, he is highly prone to counterfeits, fraud and many illegitimate practices. This is possible as the scammers (counterfeiters) are becoming savvy at quickly producing fake versions of in-demand products, advertising online and taking advantage of less scrutinised shipping methods. If they see you have developed a successful product, they will want to jump into it to fake it out. According to a new OECD–EUIPO report, based on the latest available data, counterfeit goods accounted for an estimated USD 467 billion in global trade in 2021. Since then, the same underlying patterns and risks have continued to drive the global counterfeit trade. This accounts for around 2.5% of the world trade.

This kind of scenario highlights the need for governments' intrusion and efforts to restrict the malpractices and safeguard the rights of an individual or a company to own its products through intellectual property rights (IPR). IPR can be defined as “Any and all legal rights associated with intangible assets owned by a person or company and protected against use without consent”. The significant body that oversees the global protection of IPRs is the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). These intellectual property rights are outlined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Despite all these legal frameworks and unending scrutinies, like water under a mat, this counterfeiting is spreading its wings even more rapidly and entering into new sectors which initially used to be more prevalent in luxury goods like watches, handbags, apparel brands, etc. Hence, to supplement these legal actions, every end-user needs to be aware of the risk they are prone to. This paper evaluates the level of awareness among the common Indian consumers of Gen Z and tries to provide some suggestions on fighting back the fake products.

How to cite this article:
Pasupuleti M, Kavya K, Akkala A K, Parla S, Devarakonda S R L, Madhavi S. Gen Z’s Awareness and Perception of Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Landscape. J Adv Res Oper Markt Mgmt 2026; 9(2): 27-32.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2582.5399.202612