New York Senator Charles Schumer has continued his push toward patent system progress this week with a new bill intended to reduce frivolous lawsuits and thwart legal bully tactics that could curb small business innovation. Under the new legislation, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office would be asked to assume a more proactive role earlier in the dispute process.

In accordance with the Trade Act of 1974, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released its annual Special 301 Report detailing the adequacy and efficacy of intellectual property protection and enforcement protocols among international trade partners. While several countries demonstrated incremental progress, government officials confirmed that a variety of threats ranging from the theft of trade secrets to the degradation of authorized royalty management agencies continue to stalk the global marketplace.

As domestic business strategies expand to include foreign markets, so too must the patent portfolios designed to protect them. In their fourth annual report of global intellectual property trends, researchers from inovia learned that 50 percent of American firms and universities filed the majority of their patent applications overseas in 2012. That figure represents an approximate 20 percent annual increase.

Just two years after its October 2008 launch, daily deal website Groupon had amassed approximately 35 million registered users across 250 global markets. Business growth plateaued and ultimately receded over the next two years, however, prompting the firing of founder and CEO Andrew Mason this past February. But prior to his departure, Mason was able to make some telling investments in the company's patent portfolio.

Microsoft has continued its run of convincing Google's mobile hardware partners to agree to mutually beneficial patent licensing terms in its latest deal with ZTE. With more than 20 Android manufacturers now signing deals with Microsoft, some are wondering if the remaining few will be able to hold out much longer.

Grooveshark is one of many online music streaming services that enables users to upload and share song files. However, an infringement case filed against the company by UMG Recordings recently unveiled an important discrepancy between state and federal copyright law that could spell trouble for digital business models.

Pharmaceutical and biomedical firms are among the closest observers of international intellectual property management regulations, and recent research suggests that they believe European Union patent reforms will ultimately be more favorable to the life sciences sector than those passed within the America Invents Act.

As traditional satellite and cable TV providers match upstarts like Aereo in extending the viewer experience in new directions, broadcast networks are increasingly concerned how their royalty management agreements will be impacted by emerging content distribution models. Most recently, Dish Network has drawn the ire of FOX Broadcasting with innovative features that allow subscribers to watch live and recorded TV programming via smartphone or tablet.

The implementation of the America Invents Act beginning in September 2011 was intended to signal a new era of patent prosecution efficiency, and while it is too early to make definitive conclusions, it would seem as though the legislation has actually been counterproductive in reducing litigation rates.

Microsoft signed a potentially pivotal patent licensing deal this week with Chinese manufacturing giant Hon Hai, parent company to Foxconn. Although the terms of the agreement will remain confidential, the move should help Microsoft bolster its already impressive royalty revenues as it looks to find its footing in the mobile marketplace.