EVALUATING THE ROLE OF DIGITAL FORENSICS IN STRENGTHENING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ENFORCEMENT IN INDIA: LEGAL, CORPORATE, AND POLICY PERSPECTIVE

The digital transformation of commerce, innovation, and creative industries has intensified intellectual property (IP) violations in cyberspace. Traditional enforcement mechanisms are increasingly inadequate in addressing online piracy, trade secret misappropriation, patent data theft, and digital counterfeiting. This study evaluates the role of digital forensics in strengthening intellectual property enforcement in India from legal, corporate governance, and policy perspectives. Using a mixed-method approach combining doctrinal legal analysis and empirical statistical evaluation (n = 150 professionals), the study identifies a strong positive correlation between digital forensic adoption and IP enforcement effectiveness (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicates that 46% of enforcement variance is explained by forensic integration (R2 = 0.46, p < 0.001). While Indias statutory framework under the Information Technology Act, 2000, Copyright Act, 1957, Patents Act, 1970, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872 provides legal recognition to electronic evidence, procedural and institutional gaps undermine enforcement efficiency. The paper proposes structural reforms in legal procedure, judicial capacity-building, corporate compliance systems, and technological standardization. The findings contribute to interdisciplinary scholarship linking cyber forensics and IP enforcement in emerging digital economies.