SIX TOP PATENT PRODUCING COMPANIES

These companies all produce more patents than any other companies. Find out which ones are and why this may be helping or harming their business here!

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The U.S. Patent Office and Trademark Office awards hundreds of thousands of patents to American and global companies each year. IFI Claims Patent Services, a producer of patent databases, released its top 50 ranking of the global companies awarded the most U.S. utility patents in 2011.

These are the top biggest patent-producing companies for 2011.

Most of the corporations at the top are among the worst performers across all industries. Share prices of seven of them plunged more than 40% in 2011. Five of the companies also lost money last year. Hitachi and Panasonic, in the top 10, each lost more than $1 billion.

Of the top recipients, only three are particularly successful companies. For years, they have held the largest market share in highly profitable businesses. Korean giant Toshiba has been extremely successful in consumer electronics, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) dominates the operating system market and IBM (NYSE: IBM) is the market leader in enterprise computing. These companies have been able to rely on their constant revenue streams to support heavy investment in research and development.

6. Microsoft Corp.
> 2011 patent grants: 2,311
> Country: United States
> Profits: $20.6 billion (6th most)
> Sales: $66.7 billion (97th most)
> 5-yr. stock price change: -10.97%
> Value: 50th largest in the world

Microsoft’s awarded patents dropped substantially in the past year. In 2010, the company was awarded 3,094 patents in the U.S. Last year, the number was just 2,311, resulting in the U.S. company being passed by Japanese companies Canon, Panasonic and Toshiba. The software and computer company’s stock has remained stable, with share prices down 11% in the past year. This is roughly in line with the rest of the market. The company’s consistent revenue stream from its Windows operating system, server products and Xbox game console, among others, allows it to invest heavily in research and development. Last year, the company earned $20.6 billion, the sixth-biggest profit globally.

5. Toshiba Corp. JP
> 2011 patent grants: 2,483
> Country: Japan
> Profits: -$211.2 million (69th biggest loss)
> Sales: $68.3 billion (89th most)
> 5-yr. stock price change: -61.9%
> Value: 509th largest company in world

Toshiba, another mature Japanese tech company, produces a wide variety of consumer electronics, communications and network systems, as well as systems related to transportation, water and sewer infrastructure. Due in part to the scope of the industries in which it is involved, the company had been among the top 10 of patent recipients for the past five years. Moreover, in the past couple of years, the company made a significant jump, awarded nearly 800 patents more in 2011 than in 2009. The company’s jump in technology development has not corresponded with financial success. Toshiba shares are down more than 60% in the past five years, and last year, the company lost $211 million.

4. Panasonic Corp. JP
> 2011 patent grants: 2,559
> Country: Japan
> Profits: -$1.1 billion (26th biggest loss)
> Sales: $79.4 billion $79.4 (70th most)
> 5-yr. stock price change: -73.67%
> Value: 482nd largest in world

The nearly century-old Japan-based Panasonic is a manufacturer of consumer electronics. It is most well-known for its televisions, video recording and viewing equipment, and batteries. In order to remain competitive in the ever-evolving world of technology, the company must stay innovative. Since 2006, Panasonic has averaged approximately 2,100 U.S. patents per year, including 2,559 last year. However, things have not been going well for the company. Shares are down nearly 75% over the past five years, and the company lost $1.1 billion last year. Among the 2,000 largest companies in the world, this loss was the 26th worst.

3. Canon K K JP
> 2011 patent grants: 2,821
> Country: Japan
> Profits: $3 billion (167th most)
> Sales: $45.7 billion (163rd most)
> 5-yr. stock price change: -50.23%
> Value: 141st largest in world

Canon is the 141th most valuable company in the world, and the fifth most valuable in Japan, according to the Forbes 2000. The company manufactures a variety of consumer electronics and other products, but it is most well-known for its optical and imaging products, which include printers, cameras and video recording devices. Over the past five years, the company has been granted 2,300 patents on average per year. Canon’s shares are down more than 50% over a five-year period, but the company did make $3 billion last year.

2. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd KR
> 2011 patent grants: 4,894
> Country: Korea
> Profits: $13.7 billion (20th most)
> Sales: $133.8 billion (20th most)
> 5-yr. stock price change: +67%
> Value: 33rd largest in world

While there are eight Asian companies among the top 10 patent recipients, the only one that is currently doing well is from South Korea — not Japan. Samsung Electronics is the largest company in Korea by a wide margin and is the 33rd largest in the world. The company has a stake in nearly every technology-based industry on earth, including construction, chemicals, finance, semiconductors and consumer electronics. The company has had a great deal of success in the smartphone market. In the past five years, the company’s awarded patents roughly doubled. At the same time, share price has jumped 67%. Last year, the company earned $13.7 billion. It recently said it would increase 2012 capital expenditure to $41 billion.

1. International Business Machines Corp.
> 2011 patent grants: 6,180
> Country: United States
> Profits: $14.8 billion (17th most)
> Sales: $99.9 billion (41th most)
> 5-yr. stock price change: +80.4%
> Value: 31st largest in world

The perennial leader in patents has been, and remains, IBM. Last year, the company was awarded 6,180 separate patents, more than any other two companies combined — excluding Samsung. This is the 19th consecutive year in a row that the company has been the top patent producer in the world. The massive IT company has substantial market share in business technology consulting, as well as computer software and hardware development. The company made $14.8 billion in profits last year. Over the past five years, IBM shares are up more than 80%.

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