By Lindsey Gilroy and Tammy D'Amato of Patent Board™
The Automotive & Transportation Patent Scorecard™ includes companies that are involved in the manufacture and/or sale of land and sea vehicles and their parts. This includes tires, brakes, steering systems, engines, transmission systems and after-market products as well as sensors, safety systems, electronics and climate control.
The Automotive & Transportation industry has grown in the past year, with 5% more patents issued than in the previous year. The bulk of the industry growth comes from new patenting activity by companies in the top ten, although numerous smaller companies also saw large growth, with some even doubling their portfolio volume in the past year. Out of all seventeen industries tracked by The Patent Board, the Automotive & Transportation industry is the fifth-largest by patent volume, coming in just below high-tech industries that, like the Auto industry, often require patenting around multiple component technologies in order to develop a single product. In fact, over 10,000 patents in the past year alone have been granted to companies in the Auto industry and cover a wide range of technologies and auto components, from compositions for rubber tires and lightweight frames to software programs that monitor electrical and engine systems - and everything in between. T...
