Data Property Rights, Algorithm Intellectual Property Rights and Legal Protection in the Artificial Intelligence Era

Abstract

With the rapid iteration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, data and algorithms have become the core production factors driving the digital economy, and their property rights definition and legal protection have become urgent issues in global legal practice and academic research. Data, as the "fuel" of AI, and algorithms, as the "brain" of AI, are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, but their unique attributes—such as the non-exclusivity of data, the invisibility of algorithms, and the complexity of rights subjects—have brought unprecedented challenges to the traditional intellectual property and property rights legal systems. This paper systematically explores the connotation and structural characteristics of data property rights and algorithm intellectual property rights in the AI era, constructs mathematical models to quantify the rights boundary and value distribution, analyzes the legal dilemmas in practice, and proposes targeted legal protection paths based on comparative law research. The research shows that the multi-dimensional definition of data property rights based on the whole life cycle and the hierarchical protection of algorithm intellectual property rights based on technical characteristics are the core of solving the current disputes; the establishment of a dynamic legal protection system that integrates legislation, law enforcement and judicial protection can effectively balance the interests of multiple subjects, promote the rational flow and innovative application of data and algorithms, and provide legal guarantee for the high-quality development of the AI industry.