In a move reflective of the technology giant's recent efforts to incorporate intellectual property into its competitive strategy, Google has purchased more than 1,000 additional patents from IBM.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office confirmed the August transaction for the first time on its website's official log. Since the beginning of the year, the total number of patent transfers from IBM to Google has now surpassed 2,000 according to ZDNet. This is a result of Google's ongoing initiatives to protect its industry-leading position with intellectual property, according to company officials.

"One of the company's best defenses against litigation is to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services," wrote Google general counsel Kent Walker in a blog post earlier this year.

Actions have aligned with words in recent months as the company has relied heavily on IP strategy for the continued success of its line of Android-powered mobile devices. In fact, industry expert Florian Mueller recently explained in a Business Insider column that Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility was inspired primarily by self-preservation instincts.

According to Mueller, if the deal had not gone through, Motorola Mobility would have very likely settled for royalty-bearing patent licenses from Microsoft, exposing a glaring weakness within the Android hardware-maker. There is also a chance that Motorola Mobility would have changed its stance on Android-exclusivity and offered to produce smartphones that run Microsoft's Windows Phone OS as well.