TOKYO, January 8, 2019—Canon Inc. ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2018, becoming the only company in the world to have ranked in the top five for 33 years running, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. What's more, Canon once again ranked first among Japanese companies.
Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.
| Year | Overall ranking |
Ranking among Japanese companies |
No. of patents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3rd | 1st | 3,056 |
| 2017 | 3rd | 1st | 3,285 |
| 2016 | 3rd | 1st | 3,665 |
| 2015 | 3rd | 1st | 4,127 |
| 2014 | 3rd | 1st | 4,048 |
| 2013 | 3rd | 1st | 3,820 |
| 2012 | 3rd | 1st | 3,173 |
| 2011 | 3rd | 1st | 2,818 |
| 2010 | 4th | 1st | 2,551 |
| 2009 | 4th | 1st | 2,200 |
| 2008 | 3rd | 1st | 2,107 |
| 2007 | 3rd | 1st | 1,983 |
| 2006 | 3rd | 1st | 2,366 |
| 2005 | 2nd | 1st | 1,829 |
Canon promotes the acquisition and application of intellectual property rights, not only for fundamental technologies required for next-generation products, but also such technologies as the wireless communication and image compression technologies shared by next-generation social infrastructure. Canon contributes to the realization of technology that serves society by continuing to provide even better products, greater convenience and by contributing to the development of manufacturing.
