Cybersecurity
IBM Breaks Patent Record in 25th Straight Year as Number One
- Focus on artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies
- Samsung, Canon, Intel and LG Electronics are in the top five
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International Business Machines Corp. was once again awarded the largest number of U.S. patents in 2017, as the company pushes into blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies.
IBM received 9,043 patents in 2017, breaking the record it set in 2016, the company said Tuesday. A lot of the research that IBM conducts may not translate to immediate business gains, and it could take years before patents turn into a product that pays off. The company also invests in exploratory research unrelated to business lines and goals.