Introduction. This article examines intellectual property from the perspective of its administrative and legal protection. Drawing on the unique combination of characteristics that distinguish intellectual property from objects of property rights (including ‘classical’ property rights), the article substantiates the special social significance of intellectual property and reveals its dual nature, which implies a combination of both private and public interests in every protected result of intellectual activity. The aim of the article is to describe and identify the characteristics of intellectual property as an object of administrative and legal protection, and to classify intellectual property from the perspective of administrative and legal protection. Methodology. The methodological basis of the study was formed by a combination of general scientific and specialised methods of scientific inquiry. The dialectical method played a fundamental role, enabling the examination of traffic management as a dynamic system in development, the identification of internal contradictions in interdepartmental interaction, and the tracing of cause-and-effect relationships between management decisions and their consequences. To collect and initially process the information, methods to analyse and synthesise the regulatory framework and scientific literature on the subject, as well as a method to describe existing practices regarding the distribution of powers were applied. The logic of the conclusions was based on induction (moving from an analysis of the specific situation in Irkutsk to the identification of general systemic issues) and deduction (moving from the general provisions of the Road Safety Strategy to the formulation of specific principles for its implementation). The final stage involved a synthesis process, which enabled the formulation of comprehensive proposals for improving the management system. Results. The author argues that, as an object of administrative and legal protection, intellectual property is characterised by unique properties that enable it to be defined as an independent, multifunctional political, economic and socio-cultural asset, the protection of which is inextricably linked to the safeguarding of a wide range of public interests. Intellectual property is classified according to the criterion of state involvement in the recognition of intellectual property; according to the criterion of the applicability of administrative liability measures; according to the scope of customs and legal protection; and from the perspective of the status of the holder of the exclusive right. It has been established that, at present, the focus of administrative and legal protection measures has shifted towards exclusive rights as the primary form of protection from an economic perspective. Nevertheless, infringements of intellectual property rights of a socio-cultural nature cause no less harm to the public interest, having a negative impact on creative initiative and the productivity of intellectual workers.