IBM Wins Annual Patent Race for 20th Consecutive Year

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IBM is celebrating 20 consecutive years heading up the list of the Top 50 U.S. patent assignees.

According to the list published by IFI Claims, IBM was awarded 6,478 patents in 2012, up from 6,180 in 2011. Samsung remained in #2 with 5,081 granted patents (up from 4,894), and Canon held on to #3 with 3,174 (up from 2,821).

"We are proud of this new benchmark in technological and scientific creativity, which grows out of IBM’s century-long commitment to research and development," said Ginni Rometty, chairman and CEO of IBM, in a prepared statement. "Most concretely, our 2012 patent record and the two decades of leadership it extends are a testament to thousands of brilliant IBM inventors - the living embodiments of our devotion to innovation that matters, for our clients, for our company and for the world."

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Wolfgang Gruener
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Wolfgang Gruener is an experienced professional in digital strategy and content, specializing in web strategy, content architecture, user experience, and applying AI in content operations within the insurtech industry. His previous roles include Director, Digital Strategy and Content Experience at American Eagle, Managing Editor at TG Daily, and contributing to publications like Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware.

17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • TheBigTroll
    Watch as next year apple comes out of no where and steals IBMs place
    Reply
  • SchizoFrog
    They don't register that many patents, they chose very carefully those that they can register and then sue other companies for infringing.
    Reply
  • Soda-88
    And not a single lawsuit was filed.
    Reply
  • Parsian
    IBM is the legit innovator.
    Reply
  • kristi_metal
    Sony, now listed in position 4, has made the biggest jump from #7 in 2011 and 2,286 patents to 3,3032 patents

    Please, correct Sony's number of patents, with 33032 patents would be some sort of a record.
    Reply
  • cinergy
    I didn't know there was a competition about the quantity of patents in the US. That's why Apple files so much idiotic patents?
    Reply
  • bigdragon
    The winner here looks like a loser to me. More patents in an ecosystem currently being crushed by an overabundance of patents. We need less patents, not more.
    Reply
  • RazorBurn
    Sample of IBM Patents:
    Research in Graphene, Racetrack Memory, Carbon Nanotubes..

    Sample of Apple Patents:
    Square Devices with Rounded Corners..
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    IBM does REAL research and EARNS their patents to old fashioned way. Not scrounging through the dirt for something so simple everyone takes for granted.
    Reply
  • wildkitten
    bigdragonThe winner here looks like a loser to me. More patents in an ecosystem currently being crushed by an overabundance of patents. We need less patents, not more.You do realize patents are neccessary for innovation right? If people can not have at least a certain amount of time where they alone can profit from their work, then no one would invest the time and money to come up with new items.

    A good example is the pharmaceutical companies. They spend literally years and tens of millions of dollars researching new medications and all during the R&D process, they make bring in no money off it. Now, when their product is proved successful and is approved for sale, if they had no patent rights, then other companies would just make it for pennies, if not a fraction of a penny, on the dollar compared to what the creator of the new drug can make it for since the creator has to make up for all the money spent to develop it. This would lead EVERY company to stop trying to develop new products. The same goes for every other type of product.

    The problem we see with patents these days is not the idea of patents, but the awarding of patents for vague ideas that can cover way to much.
    Reply