IBM has a total of 155310 patents globally, out of which 53283 have been granted. Of these 155310 patents, more than 65% patents are active. United States of America is where IBM has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by China and Japan. Parallelly, USA seems to be the main focused R&D center and also is the origin country of IBM.
IBM was founded in 1911 by Charles Ranlett Flint. IBM provides computer solutions. The Company offers application, technology consulting and support, process design and operations, cloud, digital workplace, and network services, as well as business resiliency, strategy, and design solutions. IBM serves clients worldwide.
Read about some of the most popular patents of IBM which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find IBM patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over IBM patent portfolio.
IBM Innovation Prediction Roadmap: 2025–2030
The insights and projections presented in this article are based on predictive analysis, current patent analysis that have been done, and publicly available information as of 2025. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the forward-looking statements are speculative and should not be interpreted as definitive strategic actions by IBM or its affiliates. This content is intended for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice.
Want to explore which innovation areas IBM is likely to focus on next and where its future patent surge could occur? Fill out the form to get the details.
How many patents does IBM have?
IBM has a total of 155310 patents globally. These patents belong to 90556 unique patent families. Out of 155310 patents, 101600 patents are active.
How Many Patents did IBM File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | IBM Applications Filed | IBM Patents Granted |
| 2025 | 136 | 2868 |
| 2024 | 850 | 4634 |
| 2023 | 5201 | 5445 |
| 2022 | 6614 | 5725 |
| 2021 | 10450 | 1811 |
| 2020 | 12307 | 2040 |
| 2019 | 13151 | 2526 |
| 2018 | 11218 | 1466 |
| 2017 | 11696 | 2461 |
| 2016 | 10705 | 2642 |
How many IBM patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did IBM File in Different Countries?
Countries in which IBM Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| United States Of America | 111567 |
| China | 9431 |
| Japan | 8273 |
| United Kingdom | 4894 |
| Germany | 4413 |
| Europe (EPO) | 2323 |
| Taiwan | 1683 |
| Korea (South) | 1613 |
| India | 695 |
| Canada | 632 |
| Australia | 520 |
| Singapore | 465 |
| Brazil | 328 |
| Israel | 311 |
| Mexico | 209 |
| Austria | 197 |
| South Africa | 115 |
| Hong Kong (S.A.R.) | 115 |
| Spain | 93 |
| Russia | 83 |
| Poland | 62 |
| Denmark | 52 |
| Thailand | 51 |
| Slovenia | 51 |
| Portugal | 47 |
| Hungary | 46 |
| Lithuania | 22 |
| Croatia | 16 |
| Cyprus | 14 |
| France | 12 |
| Italy | 10 |
| Pakistan | 9 |
| Romania | 8 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5 |
| Malaysia | 4 |
| Turkey | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 2 |
| Switzerland | 2 |
| Egypt | 2 |
| Argentina | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| Latvia | 1 |
Where are Research Centers of IBM Patents Located?
10 Best IBM Patents
US20110125734A1 is the most popular patent in the IBM portfolio. It has received 861 citations so far from companies like Alibaba Group, Microsoft and Accenture Global Solutions Limited.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of IBM:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US20110125734A1 | 861 |
| US8769622B2 | 752 |
| US8266232B2 | 666 |
| US8387136B2 | 512 |
| US9038151B1 | 480 |
| US8560612B2 | 445 |
| US8332367B2 | 424 |
| US8614047B2 | 422 |
| US8495503B2 | 436 |
| US8164942B2 | 412 |
Which Companies are using IBM Patents to Advance their Research?
If patents or patents from a particular technology area of a company receive a lot of citations, it implies that the technology is being followed and incrementally innovated by the citing companies. It also indicates that citing companies are working on similar and closely related technologies.
The top citing companies in the IBM patent portfolio are Microsoft, Tsmc and The Bank Of New York Mellon Trust Company Na.
List of the top forward citing Companies –
| Company | Number of Patents |
| Microsoft | 612 |
| Tsmc | 367 |
| The Bank Of New York Mellon Trust Company Na | 344 |
| Intel | 341 |
| Samsung Electronics | 330 |
| Sap Se | 202 |
| Hewlett-Packard | 178 |
| Amazon Technologies Inc | 177 |
| Oracle International Corporation | 172 |
| Vmware | 166 |
Count of 102 and 103 Type Rejections based on IBM Patents
Top IBM Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications
| Patent Number | Count of Rejected Applications |
| US9842004B2 | 26 |
| US9274598B2 | 22 |
| US20170061304A1 | 21 |
| US20160056544A1 | 21 |
| US20160364862A1 | 19 |
| US20160049723A1 | 19 |
| US9632827B2 | 16 |
| US9426095B2 | 16 |
| US9473598B2 | 15 |
| US9502518B2 | 15 |
| US9431296B2 | 15 |
| US20170155515A1 | 15 |
| US9760234B2 | 13 |
| US9734464B2 | 13 |
| US9628208B2 | 13 |
What Percentage of IBM US Patent Applications were Granted?
IBM (Excluding its subsidiaries) has filed 179904 patent applications at USPTO so far (Excluding Design and PCT applications). Out of these 150006 have been granted leading to a grant rate of 86.27%.
Below are the key stats of IBM patent prosecution at the USPTO.
Which Law Firms are managing US Patents for IBM?
| Law Firm | Total Applications | Success Rate |
| IBM (Inhouse IP Dept.) | 97278 | 65.35% |
| Pou Iplaw | 4437 | 94.68% |
| Rsw Iplaw | 3259 | 93.61% |
| Kyndryl | 3187 | 98.88% |
| Intellectual Property Law Department | 2054 | 96.44% |
| Scully Scott Murphy & Presser Pc | 1843 | 37.51% |
| Lenovo | 1755 | 97.21% |
| Cantor Colburn Llp | 1708 | 26.51% |
| Tuc Iplaw | 1535 | 99.41% |
| Rps Ip Law Dept | 1440 | 92.13% |
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS COMING SOON!
What are IBM key innovation segments?
What Technologies are Covered by IBM?
The chart below distributes patents filed by IBM in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where IBM thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How has IBM search focus changed over the years?
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS COMING SOON!
Interested in knowing about the areas of innovation that are being protected by IBM?
