The advent of digital marketplaces and free online streaming services has been a point of contention for the music industry in recent years, with regulators struggling to ensure equity for content producers. In what is being described as a landmark settlement, the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Music Publishers' Association and the Digital Media Association recently came together with the Copyright Royalty Board to set forth new standards governing the revenue generated by innovative new music delivery models.

For most companies entering the patent system for the first time, the primary motivation is to gain protection for new inventions. After a prolonged application and approval period, some may be content to sit back and relax after accomplishing their initial goal. In reality, intellectual property strategies are only just beginning after patents and trademarks are awarded.

German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has for several years retained exclusive intellectual property rights to a revolutionary cancer drug that could also hold the key to progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But according to Reuters, the Indian Patent Office "effectively ended Bayer's monopoly" by issuing a compulsory patent license that would allow a local company to produce a less expensive, generic equivalent.

The academic community has been a consistent source of innovation in the American economy, and universities have often been handsomely rewarded through well-designed patent licensing agreements. As companies look to navigate the new landscape brought on by the shift to a first to file system, it may be wise to follow the lessons observed in the higher-education sector.

Photo-sharing website Pinterest has been a rising star in the social media world in recent months, garnering significant interest from curious users and technology industry observers. But as the site continues to grow in popularity, it may soon face an unavoidable question pertaining to copyright management.

As Apple, Google, Microsoft and others continue to vie for supremacy in the mobile device market, it has become clear the intellectual assets will play a central role in the future of the industry. With Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility still navigating the final hurdles before approval, competitors have suggested that the search engine giant could gain an unfair advantage from its strategy of licensing intellectual property obtained in the deal.

In a 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court has upheld an earlier ruling that will effectively allow intellectual property protections to be applied to works that were previously classified as part of the public domain.

The advent of digital journalism has had a number of unsettling consequences for traditional media powers in recent years, including a significant reduction in revenue in several cases. But according to Atlantic columnist Peter Osnos, a new licensing framework may help reporters recoup some of the profits that many believe have been pilfered as a result of news aggregators.

Ericsson, a provider of technology and services to the global telecommunications industry, is placing an emphasis on its intellectual property strategy in the new year to align with the company's long-term vision.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once famously told a biographer that he was willing to go to "thermonuclear war" with Google before he ever granted the Android manufacturer deals on his mobile technology patents. However, at least one analyst believes it might be time for Apple to move beyond the late executive's hard-line approach to intellectual property management.