Samsung ranks 2nd in US patent grants in 2020, IBM leads

Samsung Electronics, the world's top smartphone and memory chip maker, received 8,539 U.S. patent grants last year, down 1 per cent from the previous year, according to the data from the U.S. Intellectual Property Organisation.

Yet, the flagship of Samsung Group, the top family-controlled conglomerate in South Korea, retained the No. 2 title for 14 years on end.

South Korea's LG Group, which has electronics giant LG Electronics Inc. and LG Chem Ltd. under its wing, came in third with 5,112, up 4 per cent from a year earlier, reports Yonhap news agency.

US tech juggernaut International Business Machines (IBM) Corp topped the list with 9,435 grants, unchanged from the previous year.

Canon followed LG Group with 3,689, trailed by Intel with 3,284, Raytheon Technologies with 3,213, Huawei Technologies with 3,178 and Microsoft with 2,972.

Apple registered 2,840 patents last year, up 12 percent from a year earlier, with its ranking rising to 11th from 14th.

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Co. ranked 21st with 1,626 patents, while SK Group placed 43rd with 1,091 grants.