IBM Breaks US Patent Record – Tops List for 19th Year In a Row
IBM announced today that they have set a new US patent record for the year 2011, in which they earned 6,180 new patents, about 5% more than the 5,896 patents they earned the year before. Samsung came in 2nd with 4,894 patents. Rounding out the top 10 for 2011 were: Canon(2,821), Panasonic (2,559), Toshiba (2,483), Microsoft (2,311), Sony (2,286), Seiko Epson (1,533), Hon Hai Precision Industry (1,514), and finally Hitachi with 1,465. Apple, after only making it into the top 50 for the first time in 2010, gained 7 places to settle into the 39th spot for 2011 with 636 patents earned. According to data from IFI Claims Patent Services, 224,505 utility patents were issued last year, which is about 2% more than were issued in 2010.
“IBM’s commitment to invention and scientific exploration is unmatched in any industry and the results of this dedication to enabling innovation is evidenced in our nearly two decades of U.S. patent leadership, said Ken King, general manager, Intellectual Property and vice president, Research Business Development, IBM. The inventions we patent each year deliver significant value to IBM, our clients and partners and demonstrate a measurable return on our approximately $6 billion annual investment in research and development.
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