IFI CLAIMS® Patent Services, a division of Fairview Research and the leading producer of value-added U.S. patent databases and indexing services, today announced a ranking of global companies awarded the most U.S. patents in 2010. IFI uses proprietary algorithms and 50 years’ experience analyzing U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) data to compile the de facto annual ranking of U.S. utility-patent recipients. Utility patents are the most common patent type and a primary means of protecting intellectual property and technological innovation.

According to IFI analysis, the USPTO issued an all-time high of 219,614 utility patents in 2010, up 31 percent from 2009 and the most significant annual increase on record. The official Top-50 company ranking appears below. IFI’s full report, which offers comprehensive 2010 patent information on more than 2,000 companies, can be accessed online through IFI’s Patent Intelligence & Technology Report, available on its website starting today in a free-trial version.

IBM continues to hold down the #1 position, which it has done for 18 consecutive years, with a record 5,896 patents, up 20 percent from 4,914 in 2009. Samsung trails second with 4,551, up 26 percent; while Microsoft is third with 3,094, up 6.5 percent. All of the companies but one in the Top 50 are up over the previous year, most shattering records and many posting double-digit percentage gains.