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.

As Pfizer looks to write the next chapter in its impressive history of research and development, the world's largest pharmaceutical company is starting to look outside company walls and recruit local talent. According to the Boston Globe, Pfizer has been setting up satellite offices in academic hubs around the country as part of a five-year, $100 million search for the company's next blockbuster innovation.