According to a new report from the International Intellectual Property Alliance, jobs involving intellectual property comprise 6 percent of the U.S. GDP. The research said copyright industries added $1 trillion to the U.S. economy in a year. The copyright industries are those involved in the creation, production, distribution and exhibition of copyright materials - from newspapers and books to TV and radio.

Intellectual property is a hot topic in California, as many of the state's most prosperous regions depend on it for their revenue and success. For example, San Diego is the second most inventive city in the world, according to U-T San Diego. For every 10,000 residents, the city files 8.9 new patents, according to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

The IP5, a group of the world's five largest patent offices, released its 2012 IP5 Statistics Report recently. The report is available to the public on the organization's website.

As companies are increasingly interested in completing research in the U.S. National Laboratory on the international space station, intellectual property laws are giving some of them reason to pause and consider the ramifications of this decision.

Steve Bennett, chief executive of Symantec, is warning businesses that intellectual property theft is the greatest threat from hackers. While businesses focus on cyber risks such as malicious attacks and consumer data breaches, hackers are often interested in stealing intellectual property.

On Nov. 20, the House Judiciary Committee voted 33-5 to send the Innovation Act to the floor. During the amendment process, the committee added back two important provisions: covered business method patent review and demand letter reform. The Innovation Act is meant to target patent assertion entities and the time and money they cost corporations and innovators. It includes a provision to shift fees onto the losing party in a patent suit. It would also allow consumers of products under patent dispute to wait until suppliers and manufacturers of the product complete their suit to determine whether they are allowed to continue using the product.

On Nov. 14, Largan Precision Co. filed a complaint in U.S. federal court in San Diego seeking damages for alleged patent infringement by Samsung Electronics Co. Largan is alleging Samsung infringed six of its imaging lens patents in the Galaxy Note and S series smartphones. Largan is additionally claiming the infringement was intentional, and is asking the court to triple any damages rewarded as a result. Largan seeks an order barring use of its technology, as well as a halt to U.S. imports of Samsung products that infringe its patents, according to Bloomberg.

The copyright industries contributed $1 trillion to the U.S. GDP and accounted for 6.5 percent of the nation's economy in 2012, according to a new study by the International Intellectual Property Alliance. This is a new high for the economic contributions of these industries to the U.S. economy.

Authentic Brands Group has purchased Elvis Presley's intellectual property and the right to operate Graceland, the performer's home and a current tourist attraction, from CORE Media Group, according to Memphis Commercial Appeal. CORE Media Group owned 85 percent interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises, based in Memphis. Lisa Marie Presley owns the remaining 15 percent of the company.

Last week in New Mexico, the heads of the state's federal research labs and major universities met to discuss how to implement and accelerate technology transfer programs. This meeting of the Collaborative Research & Development Council was its inaugural summit, called by Sen. Tom Udall, D-NM, who is interested in creating new companies in the state based on research and technology from labs and universities. The council also includes members Paul Hommert, director of Sandia National Laboratories, Charles McMillan, director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of New Mexico President Bob Frank. Other representatives present were from the Air Force Research Laboratory and White Sands Missile Range.