Open source software has been at the heart of several of the most significant innovations related to cloud computing, smart devices and data analytics. Google recently recognized this fact by pledging its commitment not to file suit over its open source technology patents unless first provoked by a separate entity.

The Associated Press (AP) filed suit against news aggregation agency Meltwater in early 2012, asserting that the firm's business model was based on the illicit redistribution of protected AP content. This week, a federal district judge ruled in the AP's favor with a verdict that could set important precedents for how digital media is collected and shared.

Life science research has advanced to such a state that biological patents can now cover the sequencing, chemical composition and process of manipulating human genes. However, the rapid growth of genetic patent portfolios among for-profit biomedical organizations could pose a considerable threat to an individual's "genomic liberty" in certain scenarios.

The so-called safe harbor clauses associated with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) have come under increased scrutiny in recent years as new forms of content creation and distribution have strained the 20th century legislation. A recent ruling in an ongoing dispute between record label UMG and now-defunct online video platform Veoh may have confirmed and set several significant precedents on how copyright liability will be interpreted.

United States Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante spoke before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet last week, urging lawmakers to undertake the arduous task of promoting comprehensive reforms for the nation's copyright statutes. The process should be framed in years, not months, according to Pallante, and everything from fair use and copyright length to piracy prevention and performance royalty management should be up for discussion.

With one of the highest concentrations of federal research laboratories of any state, Colorado's scientific and business communities have taken a unique interest in technology transfer strategies in recent years. In an effort to streamline communications between public and private sector stakeholders, Senator Michael Bennet recently submitted a letter of inquiry to the U.S. Government Accountability Office requesting a comprehensive investigation into the efficacy of these unique patent licensing arrangements.

Private companies have grown accustomed to fierce competition for patent ownership and licensing rights in recent years, but some surprise public sector entities could soon be entering the fray. According to Reuters, South Korea and France have each launched state-sponsored patent acquisition companies with the intent of supporting domestic technology firms and potentially generating revenue in the process.

This week the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a geographically unlimited interpretation of the first-sale doctrine in a controversial case regarding college textbooks. This ruling has broad implications that extend well beyond the publishing industry, however, and could be a significant source of concern for copyright holders attempting to strategically monetize their works across international borders.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office saw a flood of new applications this month, ahead of the most recent America Invents Act implementation deadline. Unless the filing parties conducted a thorough review of their intellectual assets, however, they may well struggle to achieve their broader business goals.

Patent thickets, or complex collections of interrelated and often overlapping intellectual property rights, have long been perceived as a primary obstacle to the efficient commercialization of innovation. Following an in-depth analysis conducted by the regulatory body's Economic and Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB), European Patent Office (EPO) officials recently suggested that the inhibitive effects of patent thickets are likely overstated and capable of being resolved by several indirect measures.

Texas-based gunsmith and law student Cody Wilson was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year after he released video footage detailing his production of military-grade, 3D-printed firearm component parts. Wilson and his collaborators have now elaborated on their business plans, suggesting that they intend to develop a comprehensive, open source library of 3D printable models for all manner of physical goods.

Online retail giant Amazon.com is among the biggest names to enter the fray for new web addresses being auctioned off through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (ICANN) generic top-level domain (gTLD) program. Commercial competitors and publishing industry associations are pushing back, however, suggesting that the company's digital copyrighting ambitions may be anticompetitive.

Several significant patent law reforms will go into effect at the end of the week as the transition to a first to file system commences on March 16. As companies continue to speculate on the long-term consequences of this America Invents Act provision, many are fast-tracking applications in the hopes of securing protections under the familiar rules of current code.

Interactive textbook publisher Boundless has been causing quite a stir in the higher education community recently as its products continue to challenge traditional market leaders and intrigue students and investors. However, pending interpretation of copyright law could soon make or break the business venture's future prospects.

March will be a pivotal month for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as companies mark their calendars with a number of key dates and deadlines surrounding its new generic top-level domain (gTLD) program. However, market research conducted by domain name marketplace operator Sedo suggests that a surprising proportion of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are still unaware of such developments.

Digital media producers hold two crucial - and at times competing - priorities in the modern marketplace: Delivering rewarding experiences to legitimate customers and defending protected works against would-be pirates. The complicated relationship between these two objectives was on display earlier this week as video game developer Electronic Arts (EA) weathered a considerable consumer backlash as a result of its digital rights management (DRM) strategy.

The macroeconomic significance of a revitalized American manufacturing sector has been one of the few concepts capable of generating bipartisan accord from legislators. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office took a decisive step in the right direction this week by unveiling a new business community outreach initiative centered in Detroit.

Digital rights activists have already enjoyed a strong start to 2013 and are only looking to build on that momentum in the coming months. After engineering a grassroots lobbying effort, which ultimately convinced White House and Federal Communications Commission officials to reconsider the ban on cell phone unlocking, open source software entrepreneur Sina Khanifar is seeking broader changes to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provisions.

Pfizer scored a small but significant victory this week after being granted a reissue patent that will afford the company 18 additional months of market exclusivity for its blockbuster painkiller Celebrex.

The Cascadia Cup was established in 2004 to cement an ongoing informal rivalry between three professional soccer teams from the Pacific Northwest cities of Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. Now that each squad has been officially incorporated into Major League Soccer, league organizers are struggling to decide what role they should adopt in trademark management and branding strategies.