Intellectual property strategy is lacking in organizations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to a recent study conducted by enterprise software company SAP.

Last year saw a surge in the number of patents awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as a growing number of companies and individuals worked to ensure the protection of their intellectual assets.

As the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show continued this week in Las Vegas, Nevada, discussions among tech industry leaders contributed to an overall sentiment that the U.S. is not doing enough to promote innovation and competition in a global marketplace that is quickly transitioning to an IP-centered economy.

To kick off the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Verizon president and CEO Ivan Seidenberg hosted a keynote discussion that focused on how advances in mobile technology, cloud computing, fiber optics and a range of other technologies have fueled "one of the most innovative eras in the history of technology."

An appeals court ruled this week that Microsoft, the world's largest software manufacturer, violated a patent that, ironically, is designed to prevent software piracy.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy launched a campaign this week promoting the recognition of intellectual property rights as a critical step in preventing unfair business practices.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case in which Microsoft is defending itself against software development firm i4i over a $290 million patent infringement judgement. The case is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court next spring.

U.S. venture capital firms invested more than $5 billion in the emerging clean tech industry in 2010, according to a report from Ernst & Young. The figure is up from a mere $2.6 billion worth of investments in 2009, reflecting a growing interest in renewable energy sources.

IBM - a company that has become  synonymous with American innovation - recently unveiled its "Five in Five" list of innovations and technological breakthroughs that the world can expect over the next half-decade.

The U.S. House of Representatives last week spurned a bill aimed at expanding two federal research and development programs that, for several decades, have helped small tech-focused enterprises bring their innovations and intellectual assets to market. The bill had passed swiftly through the Senate.