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Canon's Patent Ranking
Canon's worldwide reputation as a technology leader is demonstrated by its continued presence in the top five of companies awarded U.S. patents each year. Canon ranked first among Japan-based companies and third in the world for companies receiving patents awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2012.
Top Ten U.S. Private Sector Patent Recipients for 2012*
| Rank | Company | No. Patents |
| 1 | IBM (U.S.) | 6,478 |
| 2 | Samsung Electronics (Korea) | 5,081 |
| 3 | Canon (Japan) | 3,174 |
| 4 | Sony (Japan) | 3,032 |
| 5 | Panasonic (Japan) | 2,769 |
| 6 | Microsoft (U.S.) | 2,613 |
| 7 | Toshiba (Japan) | 2,447 |
| 8 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (Taiwan) | 2,013 |
| 9 | General Electric Co (U.S.) | 1,652 |
| 10 | LG Electronics (Korea) | 1,624 |
*Based on weekly patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office
