IPR Research Paper Topics for 2027: AI, Patents, More

The most promising IPR research paper topics for 2026 and 2027 sit where intellectual property meets artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, traditional knowledge and digital markets. Recent developments give you fresh material: the Delhi High Court’s July 2026 ruling in ANI v. OpenAI, DPIIT’s 2025 working paper on AI and copyright, the 2025 guidelines for computer-related inventions and the Law Commission’s 289th Report on trade secrets. Topics are grouped below by field.

Copyright and artificial intelligence

• Training data: In July 2026 the Delhi High Court refused ANI an interim injunction against OpenAI, taking the prima facie view that storing works for training falls within Section 52(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 1957, and finding no substantial similarity in the outputs. Is this reasoning sound, and does it apply to books, music and images?
• Statutory licensing for AI: DPIIT’s December 2025 working paper proposed a hybrid model with a mandatory blanket licence and royalties for training. Who should collect and distribute those royalties, and how can small creators be paid?
• Authorship: India registered the artwork SURYAST in 2020 naming an AI tool as co-author, while the US Copyright Office refused registration. What does “author” mean under Section 2(d) for computer-generated works?
• Text and data mining exception: Should India add an express exception, with or without an opt-out like the EU model?
• Outputs and infringement: How should courts test substantial similarity when a model reproduces style rather than text?

Personality rights and deepfakes

• In 2025 the Delhi High Court granted interim protection to several public figures, including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, against AI-generated misuse of their likeness. Are personality rights a creature of tort, copyright or Article 21?
• Do non-celebrities have a comparable remedy against deepfakes, and what is the role of the 2026 IT Rules amendments on synthetic content?
• John Doe and dynamic injunctions for personality rights: are they too broad?

Patents

• AI and software inventions: The Patent Office issued revised Guidelines for Examination of Computer Related Inventions in 2025. How do they apply “technical effect” and “technical contribution” to AI models, and are they consistent with Section 3(k)?
• Section 3(d) twenty years on: Has it prevented evergreening without blocking incremental innovation? A study of post-Novartis (2013) decisions.
• Pre-grant opposition: The Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024 changed opposition procedure and fees. Have they reduced public interest oppositions?
• Working statements: Form 27 is now filed once every three financial years. Does this weaken compulsory licensing under Section 84?
• Standard essential patents: How do Indian courts set interim royalties in FRAND disputes, and is pro tem security the right tool?
• Compulsory licensing for health: Lessons from Natco v. Bayer (2012) for pandemic preparedness.

Trade marks, designs and unfair competition

• Keyword advertising: Is buying a competitor’s mark as a search keyword “use” under the Trade Marks Act, 1999?
• Well-known marks: Should the Registry’s list be revised with clearer criteria?
• Metaverse and NFTs: Infringement and jurisdiction for virtual goods.
• Design and copyright overlap: Section 15(2) of the Copyright Act after Cryogas v. Inox (2025).

Trade secrets, traditional knowledge and plant varieties

• Trade secrets: The Law Commission’s 289th Report (2024) recommended a standalone statute with a draft Bill. How should it balance employee mobility and whistleblowing?
• Traditional knowledge: Is the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library effective in preventing bad patents abroad?
• Geographical indications: Do GI tags raise producer incomes? A field study design for one Uttar Pradesh product.
• Farmers’ rights: The PPV&FR Act, 2001 after the PepsiCo potato variety dispute. Who can register, and who can be sued?
• Access and benefit sharing: The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 and its effect on AYUSH industries.

Enforcement and institutions

• IP Divisions in High Courts after the abolition of IPAB in 2021: speed and expertise compared.
• Criminal enforcement of copyright piracy: are raids effective?
• Website blocking orders for piracy: proportionality and over-blocking.

How to narrow an IPR topic

1. Pick one right and one technology or sector. “AI and IP” becomes “text and data mining for AI training under Section 52”.
2. Anchor in a case or document. ANI v. OpenAI, the DPIIT working paper or the CRI Guidelines give you a fixed text to analyse.
3. Use one comparative system. The EU, UK, US or Japan, chosen because it answers your question.
4. Write a question, not a theme. Our guide on research questions and hypotheses shows the method.

Worked example

Sources to use

• Copyright Act, 1957; Patents Act, 1970 and Rules; Trade Marks Act, 1999; Designs Act, 2000; GI Act, 1999.
• Delhi, Bombay and Madras High Court IP Division judgments.
• Patent Office manuals and CRI Guidelines; DPIIT working papers and consultation documents.
• Law Commission 289th Report; Parliamentary Standing Committee report on IPR (2021).
• WIPO and TRIPS texts for international comparison.

Before drafting, read how to write a legal research paper. Related guides: cyber and technology law topics, corporate law topics and the full list of 100 research paper topics in law for 2027.

IP papers, including law and economics and empirical studies, fit the Lexfolio Journal of Law, Policy and Social Sciences. See the call for papers.

Frequently asked questions

Is AI training legal in India now?

There is no final answer. The Delhi High Court’s 2026 ruling in ANI v. OpenAI was a prima facie view at the interim stage, and the government is considering a licensing model. Write about it as an open question.

Does India have a trade secrets law?

Not a dedicated statute. Trade secrets are protected through contract and equity. The Law Commission recommended a standalone law in its 289th Report.

Which IPR topic is easiest for a first paper?

A focused case comment or a study of one provision, such as Section 3(d) or Section 52(1)(a), with one comparative jurisdiction, is manageable in 5,000 to 7,000 words.

Can I rely on news reports of IP judgments?

Use them only to find cases. Always read and cite the judgment itself from the court website, with the correct date and paragraph numbers.