California, Pharmaceuticals and IBM Continue to Lead in Top-Ten Patent Rankings

The authors of Business Success Through Innovation have released the top-ten patent rankings by state, technology category, and company.

The Top Ten States
California emerged as the clear winner among states with 22,202 patents awarded in 2008, which is more than three times the number awarded to second-place Texas. The top-ten states ranked by number of U.S. patents awarded in 2008 are:

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California–22,202
Texas–6,184
New York–5,905
Washington–4,158
Massachusetts–3,897
Michigan–3,584
Illinois–3,581
New Jersey–3,247
Ohio–3,156
Minnesota–2,869

The Top Ten Technology Categories
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) classifies patents into primary technology categories. The pharmaceutical category of Drug Bio-Affecting and Body Treating Compositions continued to lead in the 2009 rankings with 4,779 issued patents in 2008. The top-ten technology categories for all U.S. patents in 2008 are:

Drug, Bio-Affecting and Body Treating Compositions–4,779
Semiconductor Device Manufacturing: Process–4,514
Multiplex Communications–4,513
Active Solid State Devices–4,109
Telecommunications–3,114
Chemistry: Molecular Biology and Microbiology–2,675
Multicomputer Data Transferring–2,672
Organic Compounds–2,625
Image Analysis–2,418
Computer Graphics Processing and Selective Visual Display Systems–2,334

The Top Ten Companies
IBM was awarded the most patents of any company for the 16th consecutive year. The 4,186 patents awarded to IBM in 2008 marked the first time more than 4,000 patents were awarded to a single entity in a single year. The top-ten companies ranked by number of U.S. patents awarded in 2008 are:

IBM–4,186
Samsung Electronics–3,515
Canon–2,114
Microsoft–2,030
Intel–1,776
Matsushita Electric Industrial–1,745
Toshiba–1,609
Fujitsu–1,494
Sony–1,485
Hewlett-Packard–1,424

Business Success Through Innovation explains how savvy entrepreneurs and businesses generate wealth through innovation and patents, rather than by manufacturing prowess. Although approximately 80% of the U.S. economy is now service based, it is still the world's largest with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately $14 trillion. Business Success Through Innovation explains how the United States maintains its edge: about 75% of the value of publicly traded U.S. companies is in intangible assets rather than plant or equipment. Innovation and the control of innovations through legal mechanisms, particularly patents, are imperative for companies and entrepreneurs hoping to succeed in today's economy.

The book also includes Top Ten patent lists showing which companies (U.S. and foreign) are most active in obtaining U.S. patents, the technology categories in which most patent activity occurs, and how each of the 50 states ranks in terms of patent activity, education level, and median income.

For more information please visit www.isopatent.com or www.amazon.com

Business Success Through Innovation, Paperback, ISBN: 978-0-9819052-0-4, $28.95.

About the Authors

David E. Rogers is a patent attorney and partner with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P., one of the world's largest international law firms. David practices patent, trademark, trade dress and unfair competition law and has been a featured speaker on patent and trademark topics in the United States and abroad.

Amy L. Hartzer is the President of IsoPatent LLC. She has a BS in Marketing from Indiana University, an MBA from Michigan State University and more than 23 years of experience in both consumer and business marketing. She has worked in a variety of roles including Director of Brand Management, Director of Customer Retention, and Vice President of Marketing for companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 including Southwestern Bell, General Motors OnStar, and Cooper Industries.

California, Pharmaceuticals and IBM Continue to Lead in Top-Ten Patent Rankings

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