The Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) recently released its list of the Top 300 Organisations Granted US Patents in 2014. It is the 32nd year the association has compiled the list.
The top four organisations remain the same, with IBM, Samsung, Canon and Sony keeping the top four spots. The top three organisations all posted increases in their number of patents granted in 2014 over the previous year, while Sony’s patents granted fell 3.1% to 3,214.
Microsoft, whose number of patents increased 6% over the previous year to 2,983, replaced LG at fifth spot. LG fell to 11th spot, with a 32% drop in patents granted to 2,119. Google posted a 31.6% increase in patents granted to move up to sixth post from 10th. Qualcomm posted a 24% increase to move up to eighth from 11th.
IPO is at pains to stress it does not attempt to answer the question of whether more patents are better. Patents granted to parent and subsidiary companies are combined in many instances.
The top 10 organisations are below.
| The top 10 organisations granted US patents in 2014 |
| Rank |
Organisation |
2014 patents |
Percent change from 2013 |
| 1 |
International Business Machines |
7,481 |
10.2 |
| 2 |
Samsung Electronics Co |
4,936 |
6.1 |
| 3 |
Canon |
4,172 |
6.5 |
| 4 |
Sony |
3,214 |
-3.1 |
| 5 |
Microsoft |
2,983 |
6.0 |
| 6 |
Google |
2,881 |
31.6 |
| 7 |
Toshiba |
2,850 |
6.4 |
| 8 |
Qualcomm |
2,706 |
24.0 |
| 9 |
Panasonic |
2,394 |
-9.6 |
| 10 |
General Electric |
2,293 |
9.9 |
| Source: Top 300 Organisations Granted US Patents in 2014 |
IPO, in collaboration with the National Academy of Inventors, also released a list of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted US Utility Patents in 2014. The University of California was easily in top spot, with 453 patents. It was followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with 275, and Tsinghua University, with 230.
The top 10 universities are below.
| The top 10 worldwide universities granted US utilities patents 2014 |
| Rank |
University |
Patents |
| 1 |
University of California, The Regents Of |
453 |
| 2 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
275 |
| 3 |
Tsinghua University |
230 |
| 4 |
Stanford University |
182 |
| 5 |
University of Texas |
174 |
| 6 |
California Institute of Technology |
172 |
| 7 |
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation |
153 |
| 8 |
John Hopkins University |
140 |
| 9 |
Columbia University |
119 |
| 10 |
University of Michigan |
118 |
| Source: Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted US Utility Patents in 2014 |