While analyzing the monetization potential of Apple’s portfolio we found that 4000+ assignees were given rejections based on their patents. But a question that was bugging our mind was how many of these rejections were actually 102 rejections (where identified prior art matches each and every element of a patent application’s claim).
With this question in mind we wanted to understand which competitors of Apple were working on similar technologies and which of them were actually getting blocked by them.
To get the required answers we took help from our proprietary tool BOS and found that a total of 1221 assignees were given 102 rejections based on Apple’s patents.
Table below provides a list of top 10 assignees who got the most number of 102 rejections based on Apple’s patents.
| Assignee | Number of 102 Rejections | Applications blocked by 102 rejection |
| Samsung | 351 | 274 |
| Microsoft | 204 | 173 |
| Qualcomm | 181 | 138 |
| 130 | 112 | |
| IBM | 120 | 98 |
| Intel | 115 | 94 |
| Sony | 93 | 73 |
| Blackberry | 89 | 64 |
| Nokia | 74 | 51 |
| LG | 69 | 58 |
Which assignees abandoned their applications right after a 102 rejection?
Again, we knew BOS could come handy here. It showed that a total of 297 assignees abandoned their applications right after a 102 rejection was given to them based on Apple patents.
Below chart provides the list of top 10 such assignees –
| Assignee | Applications abandoned after 102 rejection |
| Qualcomm | 23 |
| Samsung | 18 |
| Intel | 13 |
| Microsoft | 11 |
| Hon Hai Precision Industry | 9 |
| Toshiba | 9 |
| IBM | 7 |
| 7 | |
| Blackberry | 4 |
| Mediatek | 6 |
Following are the technology centers which got most rejections based on Apple’s patents –
| Assignee | Technology centers which got most Rejections |
| Qualcomm | 1. Multiplex and VoIP, 2. Electrical Circuits and Systems, 3. Telecommunications: Analog Radio Telephone; Equipment Details, 4. Selective Visual Display Systems |
| Samsung | 1. Graphical User Interface and Document Processing 2. Memory Access and Control 3. Selective Visual Display Systems 4. Digital Cameras; Image Analysis; Applications; pattern Recognition; Color and Compression; Enhancement and Transformation |
| Intel | 1. Computer Architecture and I/O 2. Semiconductors/Memory 3. Electrical Circuits and Systems |
The above analysis is sourced from our tool, BOS. Some of our clients use it to identify IP monetization or licensing opportunities.