Canon Inc. ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2020, becoming the only company in the world to have ranked in the top five for 35 years running, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. What’s more, Canon once again ranked first among Japanese companies.
Canon actively promotes the globalisation of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.
Canon U.S. patent rankings 2005–2020
| Year | Overall ranking | Ranking among Japanese companies | No. of patents |
| 2020 | 3rd | 1st | 3,226 |
| 2019 | 3rd | 1st | 3,548 |
| 2018 | 3rd | 1st | 3,051 |
| 2017 | 3rd | 1st | 3,284 |
| 2016 | 3rd | 1st | 3,662 |
| 2015 | 3rd | 1st | 4,127 |
| 2014 | 3rd | 1st | 4,048 |
| 2013 | 3rd | 1st | 3,820 |
| 2012 | 3rd | 1st | 3,173 |
| 2011 | 3rd | 1st | 2,818 |
| 2010 | 4th | 1st | 2,551 |
| 2009 | 4th | 1st | 2,200 |
| 2008 | 3rd | 1st | 2,107 |
| 2007 | 3rd | 1st | 1,983 |
| 2006 | 3rd | 1st | 2,368 |
| 2005 | 2nd | 1st | 1,829 |
Number of patents for 2020 are based on figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Figures for 2005 to 2019 are based on information issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Canon promotes the acquisition and utilisation of intellectual property rights, not only for fundamental technologies required for next-generation products, but also such technologies as the wireless communication and image compression technologies shared by next-generation social infrastructure. In addition to patent acquisition, in May 2020 Canon joined the COVID-19 Countermeasure Declaration as a founding member in order to help bring a swift end to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to this declaration, Canon has pledged not to enforce its intellectual property rights against development, manufacturing and other activities whose purpose is stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Canon contributes to the realisation of technology that serves society by continuing to provide even better products, greater convenience and by contributing to the development of manufacturing.
