INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AS A TOOL OF INFORMATION OPERATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF RUSSIA’S HYBRID AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE

Abstract

This article examines the phenomenon of intellectual property rights violations as an instrument of information influence in the context of the Russian Federation’s hybrid aggression against Ukraine. The study demonstrates that in the digital environment, intellectual property rights are transforming from a mechanism of legal protection into a tool for controlling information flows that can be instrumentalized for purposes of information influence. The concept of normative asymmetry is introduced and defined as the selective application and instrumentalization of legal norms in accordance with political and strategic interests, thereby creating conditions for the systematic use of intellectual property rights violations.
Based on the analysis of selected case studies (including Russian Government Resolution No. 299, the institutionalization of film piracy, the “Doppelganger” information operation, deepfake technologies, the use of TikTok, and the transformation of Ukrainian musical content), the study reveals the multi-level nature of these practices – from institutional and regulatory dimensions to technological and cultural-symbolic levels. It is shown that intellectual property rights violations enable the creation, modification, and large-scale dissemination of manipulative content, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of information influence.
The findings indicate that such practices have significant implications for national security, including the erosion of trust in the information environment and state institutions, manipulation of public opinion and political processes, distortion of reality perception, psychological destabilization of society, as well as cultural expansion and the erosion of national identity.
The study concludes that intellectual property rights violations should be understood not only as a legal issue but as a systemic instrument of information influence and a factor of national security. Future research should focus on the role of digital platforms, algorithmic systems, and artificial intelligence in the dissemination of manipulative content, as well as on the development of effective countermeasures to mitigate these threats.