Kikkoman has a total of 1999 patents globally, out of which 1108 have been granted. Of these 1999 patents, more than 48% patents are active. Japan is where Kikkoman has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by United States of America and Europe. Parallelly, Japan seems to be the main focused R&D centre and also is the origin country of Kikkoman.
Kikkoman was founded in the year 1917. Kikkoman manufactures and sells soy sauce, alcoholic drinks, and other food items. Seasonings made with soy sauce and alcohol, alcoholic drinks, enzymes, and other biological items are also available from the company. As of March 2023, Kikkoman has a market cap of $9.60 Billion.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of Kikkoman which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find Kikkoman patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over Kikkoman patent portfolio.
How many patents does the CEO of Kikkoman have?
The CEO Noriaki Horikiri have 0 patents.
How many patents does Kikkoman have?
Kikkoman has a total of 1999 patents globally. These patents belong to 1102 unique patent families. Out of 1999 patents, 976 patents are active.
How Many Patents did Kikkoman 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 | Kikkoman Applications Filed | Kikkoman Patents Granted |
| 2023 | – | 6 |
| 2022 | 25 | 70 |
| 2021 | 75 | 71 |
| 2020 | 56 | 69 |
| 2019 | 69 | 61 |
| 2018 | 132 | 67 |
| 2017 | 95 | 70 |
| 2016 | 86 | 88 |
| 2015 | 120 | 63 |
| 2014 | 83 | 62 |
| 2013 | 91 | 49 |
| 2012 | 101 | 49 |
| 2011 | 91 | 40 |
How many Kikkoman patents are Alive/Dead?
How Many Patents did Kikkoman File in Different Countries?
Countries in which Kikkoman Filed Patents
| Country | Patent |
| Japan | 1021 |
| United States Of America | 204 |
| Europe | 155 |
| China | 98 |
| Germany | 85 |
| Taiwan | 37 |
| Korea (South) | 33 |
| Singapore | 24 |
| Canada | 19 |
| Denmark | 14 |
| Australia | 14 |
| Austria | 12 |
| Russia | 11 |
| United Kingdom | 11 |
| Spain | 10 |
| Hong Kong (S.A.R.) | 8 |
| Netherlands | 6 |
| Indonesia | 6 |
| Norway | 5 |
| Chile | 4 |
| Brazil | 3 |
| Philippines | 3 |
| Mexico | 3 |
| New Zealand | 3 |
| India | 3 |
| Kenya | 2 |
| Viet Nam | 2 |
| South Africa | 2 |
| Peru | 2 |
| Colombia | 2 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
| Italy | 1 |
Where are Research Centres of Kikkoman Patents Located?
10 Best Kikkoman Patents
US7682219B2 is the most popular patent in the Kikkoman portfolio. It has received 227 citations so far from companies like Nike, Ossur and Adidas.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of Kikkoman:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US6524530B1 | 123 |
| WO2008108385A1 | 83 |
| WO2007125779A1 | 83 |
| JP2005110657A | 76 |
| JP2004290129A | 76 |
| WO2010140431A1 | 75 |
| JP2006028047A | 74 |
| JP2002281942A | 67 |
| WO2013162035A1 | 57 |
| WO2012169512A1 | 55 |
How many inventions of other companies were rejected due to Kikkoman patents?
The statistics below share strategic R&D insights. It tells the companies that were trying to protect inventions similar to Kikkoman invention. They couldn’t because Kikkoman had protected those before them.
Examiners at the USPTO referred 48 Kikkoman patents in 143 rejections (35 USC § 102 or 35 USC § 103 types).
The top citing companies in the Kikkoman patent portfolio are Nestle, Unicharm and Kyushu Petfood.
List of the Companies whose Patents were rejected citing Kikkoman –
| Company | Number of Patent Applications that faced Rejection Citing Kikkoman Patents | Number of Rejections (102 & 103) |
| Nestle | 4 | 5 |
| Unicharm | 3 | 6 |
| Kyushu Petfood | 3 | 6 |
| 3M Innovative | 3 | 4 |
| University Of California | 2 | 3 |
| Shiseido Company | 2 | 4 |
| Kyoraku | 2 | 5 |
| Amano Enzyme | 2 | 6 |
| Cj Cheiljedang | 2 | 2 |
| Amano Enzyme | 2 | 6 |
Count of 102 and 103 Type Rejections based on Kikkoman Patents
Top Kikkoman Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications
| Patent Number | Count of Rejected Applications |
| US9060538B2 | 4 |
| US6524530B1 | 4 |
| US20040033300A1 | 3 |
| US6706492B2 | 3 |
| US6599712B1 | 3 |
| US10308403B2 | 3 |
| US7101694B2 | 2 |
| US6497910B2 | 2 |
| US9238527B2 | 2 |
| US20080176305A1 | 2 |
| US20020106424A1 | 2 |
| US20160044931A1 | 2 |
| US8652562B2 | 2 |
| US6348201B2 | 2 |
| US6444239B2 | 2 |
What Percentage of Kikkoman US Patent Applications were Granted?
Kikkoman (Excluding its subsidiaries) has filed 238 patent applications at USPTO so far (Excluding Design and PCT applications). Out of these 165 have been granted leading to a grant rate of 80.1%.
Below are the key stats of Kikkoman patent prosecution at the USPTO.
Which Law Firms Filed Most US Patents for Kikkoman?
| Law Firm | Total Applications | Success Rate |
| Oblon Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt | 28 | 85.71% |
| Nixon & Vanderhye | 20 | 60.00% |
| Banner & Witcoff | 19 | 89.47% |
| Wenderoth Lind & Ponack | 18 | 58.33% |
| Foley & Lardner | 15 | 100.00% |
| Holtz Holtz & Volek | 15 | 80.00% |
| Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch | 13 | 66.67% |
| Lucas & Mercanti | 10 | 83.33% |
| Merchant & Gould | 7 | 57.14% |
| Banner Birch Mckie & Beckett | 5 | 80.00% |