As of early 2026, more than 100 copyright lawsuits have been filed against AI companies. Concurrently, the number of generative AI patents has increased by over 800% in the past decade.
Intellectual property has long been the backbone of innovation. The ingenious ideas captured in patents, trademarks, copyrights, and designs fuel countless industries. It’s not surprising, then, that because of the AI boom, law firms specializing in IP filings, enforcement, and prosecution are busier than ever.
Why is intellectual property growing at a rapid rate?
Intellectual property has been around for more than two centuries, so why is the industry experiencing accelerated growth right now? A big reason is technology, and specifically AI.
New advancements are allowing creative minds to bring ideas to realization faster than ever before. At the same time, competitors and other parties can also replicate these innovations just as easily. What’s more, the technology itself is generating additional work ranging from copyright lawsuits and questions about copyright royalty protection to licensing deals. Emerging economies are also providing a new source of IP generation.
Why has AI created a surge in demand for IP lawyers?
There are several reasons why AI has created a surge in demand for intellectual property law firms. Companies and individuals require legal experts to:
- Secure patents for AI innovations
- Navigate complex copyright disputes over AI training data
- Draft licensing deals
- Manage trade secrets when feeding sensitive corporate data into third-party AI tools
- Help collect royalties and seek compensation for AI copyright infringement
As global industries grow more intertwined and AI continues to reshape technology and the profession itself, the need for this legal service is only set to grow.
The AI boom and the demands on IP law firms
In theory, this is good news for the IP firms that represent creative owners. However, the demand for this type of legal support has surged at such a rapid rate that firms often struggle to keep up.
Each filing, commercialization, and enforcement takes considerable effort, not to mention paperwork and billing. This endeavor requires a significant number of payments. Obtaining and managing a patent for just one invention in 50 major jurisdictions costs more than half a million dollars.
Of course, the protection of IP is vital to the existence and profitability of many businesses. Additionally, not all countries maintain an effective and strong IP enforcement system. For each patent, a business has to decide whether it’s a better return on investment to file a patent or to risk copyright infringement.
All of these factors mean that lawyers must communicate with associates and vendors from across the globe. The billing for these activities can be time-consuming and costly because of the number of foreign currencies and associated foreign exchange risks and volatilities.
Convera solutions for reduced administration
To manage the growing challenge, law firms are choosing Convera. Hogan Lovells, for example, streamlined operations, gained cost certainty, and saved over 80 hours per year.
Convera’s secure platform lets legal firms choose which features they need today and scale as their demands evolve; it also integrates with accounting systems to simplify international payments within existing workflows. Convera’s global network enables IP lawyers to complete payments in over 140 currencies to more than 200 countries and territories.
Convera also offers global currency accounts and FX risk management tools to help maintain cash flow and budget more accurately.
As the IP industry continues to grow, legal firms must find solutions to create efficiencies and reduce manual efforts, or the workload will become unmanageable. Engaging a global partner to simplify this process today can provide much-needed future support for this important legal sector.
