IBM has more patents than any other technology company

IBM is at the top of the list of US patents for 2018, marking for the 26th consecutive year the number of patents granted in the United States to any other company.

We know today that when we think of innovative companies, we think first of several companies that make the headlines, such as Apple, Google and Amazon, but IBM is a leader in the field of patents.

According to the Intellectual Property Institute (IPO), IBM has received a total of 9,088 patents in areas ranging from artificial intelligence and cognitive computing to cloud technologies and cybersecurity.

In 2018, US technology companies such as Microsoft, Intel, and Alphabet top the list, as well as global electronics companies such as Samsung, LG, and Canon.

Absent from the top 10, Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, one of the most innovative forces in the world, ranks 11th with 2,147 patents issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The total number of patent applications filed in the United States decreased slightly in 2018, from 650,350 to 643,349 in 2017.

The year 2016 was the highest ever recorded with 650,411 applications and the number of issued patents fell to 33,872 in 2018, after reaching the highest level of the previous year (347,243).

In June, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued 10 million patents since 1790.

The total number of patents still in effect in 2017 was more than 2.98 million out of 10 million, of which only 285,507 were owned by US companies.