The progress of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology development has spanned in a wide spectrum of multidisciplinary science and engineering research, with respect to fundamental technologies and various application domains. The growing UAV demands have prompted global manufacturers into large-scale R&D efforts, resulting transformative impacts on intellectual property (IP) domains, subsequently escalating IP right (IPR) litigation (e.g., patent invalidation and infringement disputes). This trend reflects the competitive landscape of technological innovations, unveiling the legal and business challenges brought about by the pursuit of emerging technologies and their wide adoptions in society. To gain a deeper understanding of the development and transformation within the UAV domains, we employed methods including, literature/patent bibliometric analysis, and text mining to identify the knowledge ontology structure in this multidisciplinary field. It conducted comprehensive patent analyses (e.g., Technology Function Matrix, Latent Dirichlet allocation). This study contributes to insightful examinations of patent holders and technological shifts within the UAV industry, supporting subsequent investigations into infringement cases involving major global UAV manufacturers and technology leaders, such as SZ DJI Technology and Autel. The study found that “object detection”, “controllers”, and “power systems” are the most sought-after sub-domains for research and development. The R&D trends and subsequent IPR issues indicate that societal transformation brings about changes in technology and industry structures, driving the evolution of intricate IPs and their industrial applications. Furthermore, to ensure IPR protection in the UAV industry, the study encompasses the global patent landscape, their legal dispute characteristics through case example, and IP/patenting strategies tailored toward the industry’s current IP legal status.