With countries around the world struggling to jumpstart economic progress, government officials in the United States and United Kingdom are focusing on creating intellectual property frameworks capable of inspiring innovation.

Ericsson, a provider of technology and services to the global telecommunications industry, is placing an emphasis on its intellectual property strategy in the new year to align with the company's long-term vision.

While the threat of intellectual property theft should be on the radar of any business executive, companies operating as government contractors must be aware that they are particularly attractive targets.

Following the passage of the America Invents Act last September, provisions surrounding the establishment of an expedited patent review process garnered attention from all corners of the intellectual property community. Last week, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officials released a series of progress updates related to the Track I Prioritized Patent Examination Program.

The significance of impending defense sector reform was on display last week as President Obama placed the matter at the head of his 2012 agenda. According to Bloomberg, the president's statements to reporters seem to suggest that intellectual property protection may be an increasingly large component of national security strategy moving forward.

Symantec Security is the latest major American corporation to suffer the loss of sensitive intellectual assets after hackers obtained the source code underlying its popular antivirus software.

Eastman Kodak - once a leading force in the American technology sector - has hit hard times in recent years and now finds itself on the brink of bankruptcy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is hoping to sell off its patent portfolio in a final effort to reverse its fortunes.

Microsoft has filed suit against Comet - a leading British electronics distributor - for allegedly creating and selling nearly 100,000 counterfeit copies of Windows XP and Vista proprietary CDs.

Each new year brings the opportunity for a business to reassess its priorities and revitalize its operations. For a number of organizations, 2012 could be the time to take stock of their intellectual assets and devise new strategies to leverage their worth.

In accordance with the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, the U.S. Copyright Office has issued a report suggesting that sound recordings made prior to February 1972 be brought under its jurisdiction to protect the interests of associated stakeholders.