A new study from the National Science Foundation has revealed that most businesses are prioritizing intellectual property protection for their trademarks and trade secrets over copyrights and patents.

The threat of bankruptcy is one of the more daunting parts of running a business, but all companies must prepare for such a contingency and determine how intellectual property management strategies could be affected if they or a business partner fall on hard times.

Clean technology has been a buzzword echoing in the minds of political leaders, economists and environmental advocates for several years, but a recent flurry of patenting activity among sustainable energy pioneers suggests that noble concepts are finally turning into material innovations.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has released an initial proposal detailing how it plans to utilize its newly gained authority to set its own fees. While a number of businesses have been distressed by some of the planned fee increases, intellectual property experts insist that the ends may justify the means in the quest to improve patent quality.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has circulated three draft guidance documents concerning its role in facilitating the development of biosimilar products. Experts are suggesting that the newly released provisions could affect everything from invention disclosure to trade secrets management within the dynamic pharmaceutical industry.

As Apple, Google, Microsoft and others continue to vie for supremacy in the mobile device market, it has become clear the intellectual assets will play a central role in the future of the industry. With Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility still navigating the final hurdles before approval, competitors have suggested that the search engine giant could gain an unfair advantage from its strategy of licensing intellectual property obtained in the deal.

Late last month, the World Health Organization unveiled a road map for eradicating tropical diseases that will involve the open exchange of intellectual property between nearly a dozen global corporations. But while increased access to pharmaceutical patent libraries is expected to drive clinical innovation, it remains to be seen if practice will live up to theory.

Apple's latest patent application may signal a new standard in mobile technology as the company works to incorporate 3D eye-tracking into the graphical user interface of future iPhones and iPads.

In accordance with provisions of the America Invents Act, the U.S. patent system will transition to a first to file framework in March 2013. As stakeholders across the intellectual property community debate the merits of this move prior to its enactment, some are beginning to suggest that the legislation may not serve its expressed goals of protecting inventors and fostering innovation.

In an effort to direct the attention of technological innovators toward some of the world's most pressing humanitarian crises, the White House has partnered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new program that will provide incentives to those who "do the most" to apply their intellectual assets to the development of much-needed solutions.