LJ Index — May, 2000

  1. Total number of patented applications listed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office as of June 30, 1999: 2,090,902
  2. Percentage of those patents with foreign origins: 43%
  3. Position of Japan among foreign countries holding U.S. patents: #1
  4. Percentage of foreign origin patents held by Japan: 41%
  5. Position of IBM among U.S. patent holders: #1
  6. Number of patents held by IBM: 20,725
  7. Position of Canon among U.S. patent holders: #2
  8. Number of patents held by Canon: 18,043
  9. Number of Japanese companies among the top ten U.S. patent holders: 6
  10. Number of patents held by Microsoft: 1,167
  11. Number of patents held by Walker Asset Management Corporation (best known for Priceline.com): 36
  12. Number of patents held by Amazon.com: 7
  13. Number of patents that mention the word "Linux": 49
  14. Percentage of those in which Linux is used to demonstrate the patent's purpose: 100%
  15. Revenues from patent licensing in 1990: $15 billion
  16. Revenues from patent licensing in 1998: $100 billion
  17. Increase in patent applications after the 1998 U.S. Supreme decision finding software and "business method" patentable: 700%
  18. Number of internet-related patents granted in 1997: 648
  19. Projected umber of Inernet-related patents granted in 1999: 3000

Sources: Unites States Patent & Trademark Office (1-15), Upside (16-17),