The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology convened this week for an in-depth discussion on how universities can start turning federally funded research projects into private-sector innovation. Legislators were joined by delegates from the Association of University Technology Managers, several state colleges and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation.

As pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb prepares for the impending expiration of patent protection on its flagship heart attack and stroke medication, Plavix, the company has taken itself out of the running for producing a generic version of the drug and will instead focus on developing the industry's next innovation.

Although musical artists have enjoyed the benefit of copyright protections for decades, their counterparts on the silver screen have not been so lucky in the field of intellectual property management. But after years of negotiations, World Intellectual Property Organization officials seem convinced that audiovisual performers will soon be afforded the same "economic and moral rights" that protect musicians.

College students have been gravitating toward the idea of digital textbooks for several years, but copyright protection has been one of the few issues standing in the way of widespread acceptance in the academic publishing community. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras professor Joseph Vogel believes he may have a solution that serves all sides, however, with the debut of a new incentive-based system.

The technology sector has long been regarded as a crucial engine of American innovation, but many fear that recent intellectual property disputes could compromise industry progress. In an effort to bring sanity and civility to the patent litigation landscape, professors Jason Schulz and Jennifer Urban from the University of California - Berkeley recently outlined a new approach to addressing stakeholder concerns.

At the recent D10 conference hosted by All Things Digital, Apple CEO Tim Cook was the latest voice from the software development community suggesting that the current U.S. patent system is "broken" and could be standing in the way of innovation. But although most regulatory bodies will concede that there is room for improvement, the intellectual property management incentives embedded in the current system still have plenty to offer savvy software developers.

As bright, young startups expand to become established market players, intellectual property management should be part of the discussion each time they extend an offer of employment to a new hire. Far too many companies, according to Corporate Counsel, don't realize the intellectual capital they have invested in an employee until that worker moves on to another opportunity.

Following the surge of corporate data breaches reported in recent months, companies across industries have been revising data protection protocols to keep a tighter grip on sensitive customer data. However, it appears that a number of organizations are still leaving their intellectual assets without the benefit of similar security measures.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers in Ireland are preparing to learn a hard lesson regarding the relationship between patent management and employment prospects. As Pfizer continues to sort out the implications of its impending patent cliffs, the drugmaker has decided to eliminate nearly 180 positions from plants across the European country.

As a greater proportion of commercial activities migrate to digital platforms, companies are quickly realizing that trademark management strategies must be as vigilant online as they have been offline. But according to the latest survey conducted by branding experts from Melbourne IT DBS, the legal community is not yet fully prepared to advise potential clients on the risks that could await them on the digital frontier.