The first to file provision of the America Invents Act may not go into effect until next March, but biomedical companies need to be diligently preparing today. Research and business development teams should already be in close communication with one another, according to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, surveying intellectual property pipelines and removing administrative obstacles that could delay invention disclosure processes.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh sided with Apple this week in a patent dispute that will now prevent Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the United States. This marks a significant decision for the mobile marketplace, as Apple has effectively stunted the growth of one of the few legitimate rivals to its industry-leading iPad.

With legislators still struggling to craft an appropriate solution to the hot-button issue of digital copyright enforcement, the Obama administration has extended an olive branch to the general public in hopes of inspiring productive conversations.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has extended the window for its After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) in order to further evaluate the program. The pilot program is now set to end on September 30, pushed back from the original June 16 close date.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director David Kappos made his way to Capitol Hill this week to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the first oversight hearing for the America Invents Act. Kappos reported consistent compliance with the legislation's prescribed implementation framework and elaborated on future strategies for bringing harmony to the international patent system.

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.

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.

As world leaders return to their respective countries following the recent G-8 summit, intellectual property protection is expected to be on the minds of many as they set agendas for the rest of the year. According to IP Watch, delegates agreed that more effective patent management frameworks will be needed to eliminate the scourge of counterfeit medicines.

As a leading conduit of internet activity, online search pioneer Google has found itself in the role of copyright enforcement agent in recent years as digital pirates continue to craft more elaborate and damaging plots. In the latest Google Transparency Report, the company has provided extensive detail on both the volume and source of requests it receives asking for infringing material to be taken out of search results.