In 2024, Canon ranked ninth in the number of patents registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), placing it in the world’s top 10 for 41 consecutive years, according to IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a US-based patent research firm. Moreover, Canon ranked first among Japanese companies for the 20th consecutive year.
Canon emphasizes the importance of obtaining patents not only in Japan but also internationally. It promotes patent filing based on regional business strategies, as well as technology advancement and product trends.
The United States, with its concentration of high-tech companies and its large market scale, is a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.
Top 15 companies by number of US patents obtained in 20241
| Rank | Patent holder | Number of patents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 6,377 |
| 2 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd | 3,989 |
| 3 | Qualcomm Inc | 3,422 |
| 4 | Apple Inc | 3,082 |
| 5 | Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 3,046 |
| 6 | LG Electronics Inc | 2,768 |
| 7 | Samsung Display Co Ltd | 2,596 |
| 8 | International Business Machines Corp | 2,465 |
| 9 | Canon Inc | 2,329 |
| 10 | Google LLC | 2,054 |
| 11 | Intel Corp | 1,931 |
| 12 | BOE Technology Group Co Ltd | 1,870 |
| 13 | Micron Technology Inc | 1,796 |
| 14 | Toyota Motor Corp | 1,779 |
| 15 | Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC | 1,707 |
Canon makes maximum use of its intellectual property portfolio to enhance corporate value by supporting the evolution of management and business while examining various environmental changes to foresee future social and economic trends.
In addition to focusing on the acquisition of intellectual property rights related to core business competencies, Canon devotes significant resources to the acquisition of intellectual property rights that anticipate future developments, including those related to versatile technologies in such fields as AI and IoT, industry standards, and the environment, to create new businesses.
Leveraging its intellectual property portfolio, Canon is working to boost its business expansion by securing both its current competitive advantage and the freedom to conduct business in the future, while obtaining licensing revenues to compensate development costs.
Canon will continue its intellectual property initiatives with the goal of supporting its businesses, providing products and services with higher added value, and contributing to a better society.
- *Numbers of patents based on figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services (as of January 15, 2025). ↩︎
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