The U.K. Intellectual Property Office (IPO) took proactive steps toward preserving Britain's reputation as a life sciences innovator this week by employing a series of changes to the nation's Patents Act. By reducing administrative burdens, officials hope to foster a safer space for pharmaceutical companies to conduct research and development tasks with minimal fear of being sued for patent infringement.

The Saving High-tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes (SHIELD) Act was officially introduced in Congress this week. Sponsored by Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio and Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz, the legislation would force plaintiffs to pay defendants' attorneys fees in cases where their patent infringement lawsuits ultimately prove baseless.

Financial realities have recently prompted the University of Toledo to cut millions of dollars from its operating budget, raise tuition prices, limit class offerings and increase class size. Despite these hardships, the school is defending its decision to maintain current funding levels for its technology transfer office, insisting that such investments will yield significant commercial and societal returns.

The Center for Copyright Information (CCI) announced the official beginning of its Copyright Alert System (CAS) implementation phase this week, marking a potentially historic shift in the way royalty management rules are drafted and enforced in the digital age.

In early 2012, two attorneys independently filed suit against Westlaw and LexisNexis, claiming that the companies had misappropriated original documents for commercialization in their legal research databases. The litigation was dismissed earlier this month, however, as a New York District Court judged asserted that both companies had operated in alignment with the doctrine of fair use.

While many high-tech employers tacitly encourage innovative ideas from their employees, most simultaneously draft agreements which transfer commercialization rights to the company if one of their workers' inventions take off. Twitter has proven to be an exception to the rule, however, insisting instead that empowering employees with greater control over their patent management rights makes for a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Last week's State of the Union address consistently circled back to the notion that technical literacy holds the key to the nation's economic prosperity and the academic advancement of its youth. New Mexico Representative Ben Ray Lujan was already at work on this agenda weeks ahead of the speech, however, ramping up activities with the bipartisan Technology Transfer Caucus he spearheads.

After decades of discussion and hundreds of hearings, the European Union officially authorized the Unified Patent Court Agreement in Brussels this week. Signed by 24 EU member states, the accord will go into force after formal ratification from 13 nations still reviewing the details.

Less than 24 hours after delivering the State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama took to a more casual forum to field questions from the American public in a Google Hangout session. In a wide-ranging discussion that touched upon everything from gun control to Valentine's Day plans, the president candidly discussed the country's evolving patent management practices.

With approximately one month remaining before the first to file provision of the America Invents Act goes into effect, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published its final rules and guidelines governing implementation.