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13 January 2016Patents

IBM tops US patent list for 23rd year

Technology company IBM has topped the list of recipients of US patents in 2015, beating Samsung and Canon to the top spot, but there has been a slight decline in the overall number of patents granted since 2014.

Despite seven years of successive increases, 2015 saw a 1% decline in US patent grants, an annual report by patent database company IFI Claims Patent Services has shown.

According to the “ 2015 IFI Claims US Top 50” report, there were 298,407 utility patents granted in the calendar year, which was down by just under 1% compared to 2014. That year broke the 300,000 mark for the first time with 300,678 patents granted.

IBM was granted 7,355 patents last year compared to 7,534 in 2014, but still managed to top the list for the 23rd year in succession.

Second-placed Samsung was granted 5,072 patents and Japan-based Canon, third in the list, was granted 4,134.

Semiconductor company Qualcomm moved up three places to number four on the list and Google was placed fifth despite being eighth last year.

Mike Baycroft, chief executive of IFI, said: “After seven straight years of prolific patent growth, 2015 saw the first sign of de-acceleration.

“I wouldn’t suggest though that the patent train is losing momentum as many companies continue to crank out more patents than the previous year. That historic seven-year run was remarkable especially when you consider that IBM, Samsung and Canon each generate more than twice as many patents now as they did a decade ago.”

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