The Canadian Supreme Court dealt Pfizer a minor setback this week after informing the pharmaceutical giant that special patent protection awarded to Viagra will not be renewed when it expires in 2014. The court unanimously decided to support an appeal filed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, the world's largest generic drug manufacturer, which asserted that Pfizer's original application was too vague.

Numerous critics have highlighted the frivolous nature and caustic tone that has, at times, been associated with the smartphone patent wars in recent months. But amid this contentious litigation between multinational corporations, smaller firms have gleaned valuable lessons on how to monetize their own intellectual property portfolios.

MIPS, a leading semiconductor design firm, has announced an ambitious new strategy involving the sale of its patents and acquisition of its operating components by two separate companies.

The relationship between Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provisions and social media has grown increasingly complex in recent months as regulators have become more vigilant and efficient in their removal of infringing content on sites such as YouTube and Reddit. As both sides continue to navigate the implications of evolving digital copyright rules, Twitter is seeking the bring a degree of transparency to the process.

The smartphone patent war could take a radical turn in the coming weeks as the Federal Trade Commission considers moving forward with an antitrust lawsuit against Google. Speaking with reporters from Bloomberg under the condition of anonymity, four individuals familiar with the matter confirmed that a group of FTC investigators have formally recommended that their superiors move forward with charges against the company.

Since the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980, there has been a steady rise in the commercialization of university intellectual property. While much of this progress can be attributed to faculty researchers, new data from the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) suggests that students are more prepared than ever to amass and monetize their own patent portfolios.

Less than a week after Windows 8 was released to the public, patent infringement claims are swirling around one of its central features. Operating system technology designer SurfCast has filed a U.S. District Court complaint alleging that the Live Tiles display seen on Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices makes use of elements covered in a patent awarded to the firm in 2004.

Pandora, Clear Channel and nearly a dozen more internet radio companies and trade associations have formed the Internet Radio Fairness Coalition to express their support for two landmarks bills currently being floated in Congress. The reforms are intended to promote a more equitable and technologically savvy royalty management framework, but some are wondering whose interests would truly be served under the proposed legislation.

The America Invents Act was signed into law in September 2011. One of its most significant provisions is the change from granting U.S. patents to the “first to invent” to granting them to the “first inventor to file.” This change becomes effective for patents filed on or after March 16, 2013. In a March 12, 2012 piece published in Fast Company, John Villasenor points to some benefits to be gained from continuing to file patent applications right now.

Intellectual property theft has gained mainstream attention in recent months, even sparking discussion in the latest round of presidential debates. While foreign adversaries and opportunistic cybercriminals attract the eyes of law enforcement agencies and concerned business managers, researchers from Verizon have suggested that disgruntled employees could pose a more immediate threat to intellectual property portfolios.