The legacy of the late Steve Jobs is sure to be admired by the innovators of tomorrow, and among his many business talents was his ability to protect and leverage intellectual assets for unparalleled success.

According to the Washington Post, Jobs is listed as the inventor of 317 separate patents on file with the U.S. Patent Office. From personal computers to digital animation to personal media players, Jobs always took the proper legal precautions to ensure his vision was protected.

Even as his health was failing, his inventive spirit carried on. According to Apple Insider, the prolific inventor submitted his final patent application a little more than a year ago for a system designed to stop computer users from inadvertently starting an operation.

"Initiating an improper operation on the computer can be costly in terms of both time and money," the submission stated, according to the source. "Recording medium may be recordable only once, such that if a mistake is made while recording, then the medium will not be reusable."

Despite the technical phrasing, the message behind his words was clear. Jobs knew that to protect his ideas, and allow his company to reap the future rewards, a strong and up-to-date IP portfolio would be invaluable.