When matters of intellectual property and higher education collide, it is often the result of university researchers exploring new ways to commercialize their laboratory innovations. But in more cases, schools are finding similar value in a separate pursuit: trademark management.

In 2005, the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement was established as a free trade agreement intended to liberalize economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Negotiations surrounding an expanded version of the framework known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have picked up in recent months, but a swell of new intellectual property concerns are tempering excitement for the proposed legislation.

Jurors ended their deliberation late last week to deliver a verdict that many are interpreting as a resounding victory for Apple in its patent lawsuit against Samsung. The Korean mobile manufacturer has been ordered to pay Apple approximately $1.05 billion in damages after the court ruled Samsung had infringed upon iPhone design components in several of its smartphones.

Illinois may not be regarded as a technology transfer hub on par with traditional powers like Massachusetts, California and Michigan, but the state's universities have been making significant strides toward commercializing their intellectual property in recent years. According to the latest index compiled by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, Illinois schools are now licensing IP more frequently than at any point in the past decade.

Digital innovations continue pose new questions to traditional copyright and patent systems around the world. Australian legislators seem to have a lead on the coming clashes between technology and intellectual property management, having recently launched an investigation into how copyright law may be affecting the nation's burgeoning cloud computing market.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has proposed a new set of revisions to its trademark fee structure, offering a variety of incentives for applicants who take advantage of digital filing tools.

Twitter has decided to add a new dimension to its intellectual property portfolio with the addition of assets from application testing startup Clutch.io. Although the exact terms of the deal have not been released, officials did reveal that both staff members and proprietary technology will be making their way to Twitter prior to Clutch.io shutting down its services on November 1.

As financial factors have proven to be increasingly uncertain in recent years, companies have been placing renewed emphasis on the potential of their intellectual assets. But while shifting focus is an important first step, having the right people in the room may be more predictive of long-term success.

The Apple-Samsung patent litigation trial has covered some interesting territory in recent weeks, but one of the most surprising revelations may be the disclosure of a previously unknown strategy involving Microsoft.

While politicians, financiers and social commentators have been preaching the importance of refueling the nation's innovation engines, university research teams have been turning principles into practice. According to MedCity News, the technology transfer forecast is now looking particularly robust in the academic community.

Although Google seems to be venturing into new corners of the technology market nearly every day, the majority of its early success and value can be traced back to the proprietary computer algorithms at the heart of its flagship search engine. So the fact that the company is now tweaking its systems to lower the search rankings of suspected digital pirates speaks to the reverence the company has for copyright protection and enforcement.

Entrepreneurship and innovation go hand in hand, with small independent firms and sole inventors consistently among those at the cutting edge of the technology industry. So while many factors may be weighing on the minds of these ambitious professionals as they begin to scale out operations, intellectual property management frameworks certainly deserve their attention.

Canadian mobile device manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) and its iconic BlackBerry brand have weathered a number of damaging defeats in the last 18 months, allowing competitors like Apple and Google to establish a seemingly insurmountable smartphone market lead. RIM was able to report a bit of good news this week, however, after a California judge overturned a $147 million patent lawsuit leveled against the firm last month.

When American universities receive public or private funding for their research and development (R&D) projects, that money does not always remain strictly on campus. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the amount of grant money passed on to outside organizations more than doubled the funding reserved for academic R&D expenditures during the fiscal years 2000 and 2009.

Scientists from the University of New Hampshire recently collaborated with industry experts from the Michigan Aerospace Corporation in an attempt to turn years of laboratory findings into a rugged new instrument that could soon assume a role in national security.

California Representatives Darrell Issa and Zoe Lofgren recently introduced the Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade and Sales (PARTS) Act, a bill which is intended to increase competition and potentially lower prices encountered by consumers in the market for replacement car components. However, automotive industry delegates have suggested that the bill could carry a number of unfortunate side effects that run counter to American economic goals.

Washington-based firearms manufacturer Mega Arms recently alerted customers that it would no longer be producing the monolithic upper receivers featured in military-grade rifles. According to the company, this decision was influenced more by patent management issues than competitive capabilities.

Much has been made of the so-called patent cliffs facing large pharmaceutical companies in 2012 and how executives are responding to these developments. Coupled with the United States moving to a first to file system in March 2013, it could be a definitive few quarters for the industry.

This week, Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio and Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz introduced a new bill taking aim at the patent litigation confusion that has enveloped segments of the technology sector. The Saving High-tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes (SHIELD) Act looks to pave a way for inventors to recoup their expenses in the event they are the target of unsubstantiated infringement claims.