Foreign companies are infiltrating U.S. patents causing backlogs.

The dominance of Asian tech companies in the U.S. patent space and the impacts of growing backlogs in patent examination were major takeaways from the Top 50 U.S. Patent Assignees and Global 250 Lists, published by IFI CLAIMS on January 9. The patent database developer also released a Top 10 Fastest Growing Technologies list reflecting the strong global popularity of smoking, whether via electrical device or in traditional cigarette form.

IBM Cedes Further Ground Among Top 50 U.S. Patent Assignees

For the second year in a row, South Korean technology conglomerate Samsung Electronics maintained the top spot in IFI CLAIMS’ Top 50 U.S. patent assignees during the previous year. While Samsung’s 6,165 U.S. patent grants last year actually reflected a 1.3% decline from its 2022 totals, the Asian tech giant still received nearly twice as many patents as second-place Qualcomm. The San Diego, CA-based chip developer received 3,854 U.S. patents during 2023, slightly more than patents received by chip rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Armonk, NY-based information technology company International Business Machines (IBM).

For 29 years, IBM had been the top U.S. patentee until a deliberate shift in corporate patent strategy saw Samsung take over as the leading recipient of U.S. patent grants last year. IBM’s 3,658 U.S. patents during 2023 represented another 16.8% decline in the tech firm’s patenting activity from the prior year.

While many companies saw greater totals of patent grants during 2023, the overall grant rate for U.S. patents declined by 3.4%, returning to pre-pandemic issuance levels. That decline may be related to longer patent pendencies at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), according to IFI CLAIMS chief executive Ronald Kratz. “The backlog for patent applications at the USPTO has been growing over the last couple of years,” Kratz stated in a press release. “They now have more than 750,000 unexamined applications, which could explain why grants are down.” More than 418,000 patent applications were filed during 2023, an all-time record at the USPTO, which Kratz said was a reflection of positive innovation activity in the United States.

At the national level, nearly 150,000 U.S. patents, about half of the total issued during 2023, were granted to domestic firms. Collectively, U.S. companies received 4.8% more U.S. patents last year than they did during 2022. In stark contrast, companies from Japan, China and Germany, three other countries in the top five, saw their collective U.S. patent grants drop by double-digit percentage points. Among the top 10 countries, only companies from Taiwan and Canada saw increased U.S. patent grants during 2023 as compared to their 2022 totals.