Tech trends, encryption, trade secret theft and electronic evidence discussed at Observatory’s Impact of Technology expert group meeting 

On 15 and 16 of May 2025, the European Observatory on the Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights hosted its annual workshop for the Impact of Technology Expert Group focused on emerging encryption and trade secret trends. The workshop took place at the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain, bringing together experts to discuss the current and evolving challenges in the realm of IP.

The event featured in-depth group discussions on encryption, trade secret theft and electronic evidence. These discussions focused on their far-reaching impacts on society, the economy, IP protection, IP infringement, IP crime and criminal investigation practices.

Key topics included:

• Encryption trends: experts analysed the societal, economic, and legal implications of encryption technologies, and the wide variety of impacts on IP protection, infringement and enforcement.

• Trade secret theft: experts examined the trends in trade secret theft, specifically related to hacking and insider threats. Insights into how trade secrets are compromised and strategies for detecting and investigating these crimes were shared.

• Electronic evidence and investigations into IP infringements and IP crime: in the last session, experts discussed the current challenges in leveraging innovative electronic evidence and open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools. These include web scrapers and big data analyses tools.

Throughout the meeting, experts engaged in collaborative discussions, shared valuable insights and strategies for tackling the challenges posed by the topics under discussion. The meeting will contribute to the Observatory's ongoing work to refine and improve strategies related to IP protection and enforcement.

As is customary, the experts participating in the workshop offered their independent opinions and did not represent any specific organisations or institutions.

Source: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/news/observatory/tech-trends-encryption-trade-secret-theft-and-electronic-evidence-discussed-at-observatory-s-impact-of-technology-expert-group-meeting