The Communications Regulation (Amendment) Act 2007 empowers the Commission for Communications Regulation to set rules on application procedures for domain names. Currently, these rules require individuals and companies to prove a valid "connection to Ireland" to register an official ".ie" domain. This connection can be proved with a RBN/CRO number, VAT number, tax clearance certificate from Ireland's Revenue Commissioners, Irish passport, Irish/UK drivers licence showing address in the island of Ireland, Irish/Northern Irish bank statement showing an address in the island of Ireland, College ID or Public Services Card. Evidence that the company will be relocating to Ireland in the near future is also accepted.

The EU Directive on Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) covers traditional broadcasting services as well as audiovisual media services provided on-demand, including via the Internet. Article 13(1) provides for Member States to secure a minimum 30% share of European works in the catalogues as well as "ensuring prominence" of those works. "Prominence" involves promoting European works through facilitating access to such works using any appropriate means to ensure prominence of European works. The Directive has been implemented by Member States in different ways, ranging from very extensive and detailed measures to a mere reference to the general obligation to promote European works.
It is reported that the directive has been transposed, with the publication of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2019.

The Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive) is the legal basis governing the liability of Internet Services Providers (ISPs) in the EU Member States and includes a conditional safe harbor. Not all Member States have transposed the relevant articles consistently, leading to divergent national case law that could cause legal insecurity on an EU level.
The Statutory Instrument No.68 implements Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive), establishing a conditional safe harbour for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Ireland. The conditions prohibit any infringements of third-party rights, including rights relating to copyright or intellectual property, rights to which the law of defamation and malicious falsehood relate and rights under contract (Art. 15). The safe harbour is further delimited to certain activities - conduit, batching and hosting (Arts. 16–18) - carried out by internet intermediaries, rather than categories of service providers.

Section 6 of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 allows members of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of chief superintendent, officers of the Permanent Defence Force not below the rank of colonel, and officers of the Revenue Commissioners not below the rank of principal officer to request the disclosure of data without a warrant in certain circumstances.

The Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive) is the legal basis governing the liability of Internet Services Providers (ISPs) in the EU Member States and includes a conditional safe harbor. Not all Member States have transposed the relevant articles consistently, leading to divergent national case law that could cause legal insecurity on an EU level.
The Statutory Instrument No.68 implements Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive), establishing a conditional safe harbour for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Ireland. The conditions prohibit any infringements of third-party rights, including rights relating to copyright or intellectual property, rights to which the law of defamation and malicious falsehood relate and rights under contract (Art. 15). The safe harbour is further delimited to certain activities - conduit, batching and hosting (Arts. 16–18) - carried out by internet intermediaries, rather than categories of service providers.

Under the EU Directive on Data Retention, operators were required to retain certain categories of traffic and location data (excluding the content of those communications) for a period between six months and two years and to make them available, on request, to law enforcement authorities for the purposes of investigating, detecting and prosecuting serious crime and terrorism. On 8 April 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union declared the Directive invalid. However, not all national laws which implemented the Directive have been overturned.
Despite the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Ireland retains its own data retention laws under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. This act details cases where personal data must be stored for a minimum of between 12 to 35 months depending on the category (Section 3), to be made accessible to government authorities when requested (Section 6). The Act covers both telephony and mobile telephony data as well as Internet access, Internet e-mail and Internet telephony data.

It is reported that the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the executive authority for the supervision and administration of services in the telecommunications sector, is independent from the government in the decision-making process.

It is reported that Ireland does not mandate functional separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market. However, accounting separation is required by law

It is reported that passive sharing of telecom infrastructure is not mandated, but is practiced in both the mobile (based on commercial agreements) and fixed sectors.

Directive 2014/61/EU (Art. 3[2]) establishes that Member States shall ensure that, upon written request of an undertaking providing or authorised to provide public communications networks, any network operator has the obligation to meet all reasonable requests for access to its physical infrastructure under fair and reasonable terms and conditions, including price, with a view to deploying elements of high-speed electronic communications networks. Such written request shall specify the elements of the project for which the access is requested, including a specific time frame.

The Directive 2016/943 on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) is key in harmonising national laws concerning trade secrets. Ireland transposed the Directive through the European Union (Protection of Trade Secrets) Regulations 2018.

Ireland has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Ireland has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

The rate of unlicensed software installation in the country was reportedly 29% in 2017 (above the 26% rate of Western European countries), for an estimated commercial value of unlicensed software of USD 79 million.

Directive 2001/29/EC defines an optional, but exhaustive set of limitations from the author´s exclusive rights under the control of the “three-step test” in line with the Berne Convention that establishes three cumulative conditions to the limitations and exceptions of a copyright holder’s rights. The Directive has been transposed by Member States with significant freedom. Section 50 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act contains the list of exceptions.

Ireland is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).