The number of intellectual property disputes filed at the International Trade Commission dropped slightly in 2014, continuing a three-year decline from the forum’s peak popularity in 2011.

Thirty-nine new ITC investigations were instituted in 2014, according to a review by The National Law Journal, down from 42 in 2013 and a record 69 in 2011, when high-stakes disputes between smartphone makers led by Apple Inc. filled the docket.