“This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, some of the biggest companies in the world will debut the next generation of products and technology. The goods on display are the product of years of research and billions of dollars. And to protect their investments, companies file for patents on the next game changing device, software, or technology.
The U.S. Patent Office and Trademark Office awards hundreds of thousands of patents to companies each year. Today, IFI Claims Patent Services, a producer of patent databases, released its top 50 ranking of the companies awarded the most U.S. patents in 2012. Based on IFI’s list, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 most innovative companies in the world.
24/7 Wall St.’s review of the IFI list finds that producing the most patents does not ensure a successful business — frequently, it can mean the exact opposite. Some of the biggest patent recipients last year are barely profitable, or are losing money. These corporations may be ramping up research and development as their current brand falters. Sony’s patent awards are up substantially compared to 2011, but its shares are down by nearly 40% in the past 12 months, and the company lost more than $5 billion in the last fiscal year.
Meanwhile, several companies that didn’t make our list are among the most profitable companies in the world. Companies like Apple and Google saw major increases in patents awarded last year. Apple’s patents increased by 68% between 2011 and 2012. Google’s grew by an astounding 170%. These two companies remain well out of the top 10 for global patents awarded last year. Apple was 22nd, and Google was 21st….”
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