Which are the most significant patents?

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Which are the most significant patents?

We want to know which patents readers think have been the most important: send us your suggestions online, by email or on social media

Nominations can be in any technological field, and from any jurisdiction. Note that we are not necessarily looking for the most significant inventions, but for the most significant patents

Reasons for nomination could include:

  • The patent protected the sales of a particularly valuable product (such as a blockbuster drug).

  • The patent was widely licensed, enabling many different products and earning significant royalties.

  • The patent was successfully enforced in court and/or ADR (leading, for example, to remedies such as large damages).

  • The patent was widely cited and influential on later developments in the field.

You can nominate any number of patents, and they can be active or expired. Where possible, please provide a few sentences explaining why you have nominated each patent.

You can make nominations in the following ways:

We will make a final selection of the most significant patents from the nominations received, and will publish an analysis of each one in a future issue.



more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

The four-partner addition includes A&O Shearman’s former co-head of global IP litigation
A settlement involving Disney and another ruling concerning a lawyer’s request for access to documents were also among the big developments
Merchant & Gould's managing partner explains why the firm launched a Boston office and why it brought on board a local boutique
The model covers court-guided settlements, submissions-led determination of infringement and validity issues, and provides leeway for the court to determine a FRAND rate during negotiations
Tie up between Belgium-based firms will create an outfit with almost 30 UPC representatives, and a tier one-ranked patent disputes team
Blank Rome’s launch in West Palm Beach, marked by the arrival of two IP partners, comes in response to rising demands from technology clients
Abion says it has brought on board Matt Serlin as its first US hire to meet client demand for ‘full circle’ trademark and domain name services
News of Health Hoglund joining Sisvel and the Delhi High Court staying a $2.2 million decree in favour of Philips were also among the top talking points
The firm is continuing its aggressive IP hiring streak with the addition of partner Matthew Rizzolo
Pantech counsel Shogo Matsunaga speaks exclusively to Managing IP about how his team proved Google’s unwillingness, and ultimately secured a landmark SEP settlement
Gift this article