IP / copyright / personality / rights loss
Misuse or abuse of an individual or organisation’s intellectual property, including copyright, trademarks, and patents. & Loss of or restrictions to the rights of an individual to control the commercial use of their identity, such as name, image, likeness, or other unequivocal identifiers
ENTITY
1 - Human
INTENT
1 - Intentional
TIMING
2 - Post-deployment
Risk ID
mit1338
Domain lineage
4. Malicious Actors & Misuse
4.3 > Fraud, scams, and targeted manipulation
Mitigation strategy
1. Conduct a recurring, comprehensive audit of all intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets) to ensure proper registration, documentation, and clear definition of ownership rights in all legal agreements (employment, partner, vendor). Simultaneously, implement and continuously update robust digital security measures, including granular access controls and data encryption, to safeguard sensitive IP files. 2. Establish a dedicated, proactive market surveillance and monitoring program (e.g., patent monitoring, trademark watching, automated content detection) to identify potential infringement and malicious misuse of organizational or individual identity assets. Pursue swift and decisive enforcement actions, such as cease and desist requests and legal remediation, to address detected violations and maintain the integrity of exclusive rights. 3. Mandate ongoing IP awareness training for all personnel, with a specific focus on identifying and mitigating risks associated with targeted manipulation, social engineering (phishing, pretexting), and unauthorized data disclosure. Institute and enforce rigorous contractual safeguards, including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and invention assignment agreements, across all internal and external engagements to legally define and protect proprietary information.