As a leading advocate for and supporter of free market innovation, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has taken particular interest in patent infringement cases that keep important technical and conceptual advancements out of the hands of those who stand to benefit from their existence. As a result, officials recently released a joint statement with the U.S. Department of Justice recommending that the U.S. International Trade Commission consider the public's best interests before validating any sales bans stemming from patent suits.

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.

One of the America Invents Act's most significant provisions may not go into effect until March, but when it does, a flurry of activity could follow shortly thereafter. When the U.S. patent system officially completes its transition to a first to file framework, the speed with which inventors assess and commercialize inventions could take greater precedence than ever before.

In an effort to bring environmentally-friendly innovations to market faster, intellectual property offices around the world have been instituting policies and practices that encouraged the streamlined processing of so-called "green" patents. According to the latest research commissioned by the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development, early returns from these "fast-tracking" frameworks suggest that legislation is having the desired result.

Many of today's entrepreneurs have grown accustomed to a rather frenetic pace of business, but this can set them up for a fall when venturing into the world of intellectual property management for the first time.

David Kappos will leave his post as USPTO director early next year, calling an end to an impressive three-and-a-half year tenure.

USPTO officials have long accepted industry feedback as a welcome and necessary ingredient for patent system progress, but a string of disapproving statements coming out of the software sector has changed the tone of the conversation. To keep both sides moving forward toward smarter solutions, USPTO director David Kappos recently preached patience and encouraged critics to take a more careful view of the facts.

When the USPTO unveiled the locations of its first four branch offices, it was no surprise to see that Silicon Valley had been circled on the map. Although it is still months away from opening, the San Jose site recently reached an important milestone as Michelle Lee, former head of patent strategy at Google, was named branch office director.

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.

The economic realities that have, at times, placed NASA's funding levels in question have also inspired the agency to more proactively explore partnerships outside of the traditional government ecosystem. In one such example from earlier in the week, officials announced the award of 10 separate grants, worth approximately $250,000 each, to university-led research proposals regarding early-stage space technologies.