German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has for several years retained exclusive intellectual property rights to a revolutionary cancer drug that could also hold the key to progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But according to Reuters, the Indian Patent Office "effectively ended Bayer's monopoly" by issuing a compulsory patent license that would allow a local company to produce a less expensive, generic equivalent.

The software industry has emerged as one of the most consistent sources of innovation in the American economy and has been a dynamic landscape for intellectual property management in recent years. Some legal experts have gone so far as to assert that the industry may be outgrowing the patent system as traditional modes of invention disclosure and application filing are becoming impractical.

The academic community has been a consistent source of innovation in the American economy, and universities have often been handsomely rewarded through well-designed patent licensing agreements. As companies look to navigate the new landscape brought on by the shift to a first to file system, it may be wise to follow the lessons observed in the higher-education sector.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent report on international protection confirmed on several levels that smart intellectual property strategies can help unlock global opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. But according to IP Watchdog founder Gene Quinn, many smaller firms still view the patent system from the outside looking in.

Recent research from the National Women's Business Council has taken a closer look at the gender differences among patent applicants in the past four decades, suggesting that the rise of female patent holders may lead to a surge in entrepreneurial activity and women-owned businesses.

One of the largest fundamental changes introduced by the America Invents Act was the expansion of the prior user rights defense to patents covering all technologies, as opposed to prior mandates that limited the defense's application to business processes. Although this provision is expected to provide crucial intellectual property protection to parties that have been using an invention in the field for more than a year, some wonder if the legislation may indirectly foster a culture of secrecy that inhibits invention disclosure.

Agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto recently marked an important victory in an intellectual property dispute with rival firm and DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International. A court ruling ultimately upheld a Monsanto patent claim even though Pioneer was effectively first to file the original application.

Photo-sharing website Pinterest has been a rising star in the social media world in recent months, garnering significant interest from curious users and technology industry observers. But as the site continues to grow in popularity, it may soon face an unavoidable question pertaining to copyright management.

Intellectual property experts have long wondered about the variety of external factors that may cross the minds of patent examiners during deliberation. A recent collaboration between Cornell University professor Michael Frakes and University of Illinois professor Melissa Wasserman may have added new intrigue to the debate, with research suggesting that the structure of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's funding framework may play a significant role in the patent approval process.

University research has spawned some of the more impressive inventions in recent memory, and it appears that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is keen to call upon this engine of innovation once again and work with academic institutions to flatten regulatory hurdles standing in their way.