Harvard Law School is starting 2013 with its first ever foray into free online education. For the spring semester, the Ivy League institution is hoping to demystify copyright management complexities for the general public with a 12-week course touching on digital innovations and legal implications.

Google's proprietary technologies have come under extensive scrutiny in recent times amid a 19-month probe launched by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Regulators arrived at a conclusive decision this week, however, finding that the company's search algorithm designs and patent licensing practices did not unfairly improve market standing or merit sanctions.

Firms have been filing provisional patent applications in the U.S. for nearly two decades, and the impending transition to a first to file system is expected to expand the popularity of the procedural mechanism. However, some are wondering if the rate of activity is an accurate indicator of the strategy's true value.

In one of his final executive acts before Christmas, President Obama signed a new law which could have a range of implications for the international patent community. While several provisions are expected to boost administrative efficiency and strengthen protection, critics worry that extending the scope and term of design patents could have unintended consequences.

It has been a year filled with high stakes patent litigation for the U.S. technology sector, and that trend has continued all the way through to the final days of 2012. A Pennsylvania District Court judge has ordered semiconductor manufacturer Marvell Technology to pay Carnegie Mellon University $1.17 billion following the infringement of two patents tied to hard disk storage devices.

As the economy took a downward turn, entrepreneurial activity started trending upward in recent years. To turn good ideas into sustainable businesses, however, startup companies and sole inventors must look beyond gathering the foundational ingredients.

Verizon and AT&T have been operating as somewhat of a duopoly in recent years, with Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and a handful of others splitting the modest remainder of U.S. wireless subscriber market share. As 2012 comes to a close, Sprint is lining up a bold acquisition that could propel it toward the head of the pack.

Nokia and Research In Motion have decided to settle all outstanding patent litigation between the two sides as each plots its own strategy to close the widening gap in mobile market share created by Apple and Samsung. While the terms of the licensing agreement remain confidential, RIM will pay its Swedish competitor a one-time fee this quarter plus ongoing royalties.

The U.K. Intellectual Property Office has unveiled a new set of copyright reforms which could signal a watershed moment for the digital economy. In an effort to support the creative freedom of consumers and spur innovation, government officials will expand the number of scenarios in which protected works can be used without explicit permission of the original copyright owner.

The intersection of software development and intellectual property protection has been a popular destination for debate in recent years. But while some are calling for the absolute abolition of software patents, at least two well-regarded industry names are putting their dollars behind a more measured approach to reform.