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As we know, Canon spends a lot of money on R&D across their multiple divisions, from imaging, manufacturing, security and lithrography and more. Canon is also active in protecting their intellectual properties as we've seen in the camera space.
Canon is putting significant resources into AI and IoT, as well as environmental technologies.
For the 42nd straight year, Canon hit the top 10 in US patent rankings. Placing 7th, Canon had 2623 patents filed with the US patent office.
When you look at the top 15 in US patent rankings, it's an impressive group of innovative companies like Samsung, Huawei, Toyota and Apple.
TOKYO, January 16, 2026—In 2025, Canon ranked seventh in the number of patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), placing it in the world's top 10, according to IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a U.S.-based patent research firm. Among the companies that have continually maintained a position within the global top 10, Canon currently holds the record for the longest duration—42 consecutive years.
Canon emphasizes the importance of obtaining patents not only in Japan but also internationally. It promotes patent filing based on regional business strategies, as well as technology advancement and product trends. The United States, with its concentration of high-tech companies and its large market scale, is a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.
Top 15 companies by number of US patents obtained in 2025*
RankPatent holderNumber of patents1Samsung Electronics Co Ltd7,0542Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd4,1943Qualcomm Inc3,7494Huawei Technologies Co Ltd3,0525Samsung Display Co Ltd2,8596Apple Inc2,7227Canon Inc2,6238Toyota Motor Corp2,4069Dell Products LP2,30110LG Electronics Inc2,28411International Business Machines Corp2,19312Intel Corp2,05413BOE Technology Group Co Ltd1,95714Google LLC1,78215Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC1,755
*Numbers of patents based on figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services (as of January 16, 2026).
Canon makes maximum use of its intellectual property portfolio to enhance corporate value. In addition to focusing on protecting intellectual property rights related to core business competencies, Canon devotes significant resources to obtain intellectual property rights to help anticipate future developments covering technologies in areas such as AI and IoT, international technical standards, and the environment, to help create new businesses.
Canon will continue its intellectual property initiatives with the goal of supporting its businesses, providing products and services with higher added value, and contributing to a better society.
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