G 96-07
  Contact: Richard Maulsby                                                       
                (703) 305-8341                                        IBM LEADS LIST OF TOP 11
                                                                                 PATENT RECIPIENTS FOR 1995
  
  For Immediate Release
  January 30, 1996
  
       International Business Machines Corp., topped the list of organizations that 
  
  received the greatest number of patents in 1995, marking the third consecutive year in
  
  which the U.S. computer giant occupied the top spot for receipt of U.S. patents,
  
  Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown announced today.
  
       IBM was awarded 1,383 U.S. patents last year.  Three other American companies,
  Motorola Inc., Eastman Kodak, and General Electric were among the top 11
  organizations that were awarded patents in 1995 by the Commerce Department's Patent
  and Trademark Office.  Motorola jumped from 10th to 4th place last year.
  
       PTO issued a record 113,955 patents last year, of which 56.6 percent went to U.S.
  resident inventors.
  
       "This new record shows that innovation and technology thrives in the United States
  and continues to be a driving force among American companies," Brown said.  "With
  intellectual property rapidly becoming the international currency of tomorrow, all signals
  indicate that this trend will continue," Brown added.
  
       Canon Kabushiki Kaisha ranked second with 1,087 patents.  The U.S. government
  dropped from second to third place in 1995 with 1,026 patents.
  
       The identities of the 11 organizations remained unchanged for 1995.  Among Japanese
  corporations, NEC rose from 8th to 5th place and Matsushita rose from 11th to 9th place,
  PTO said.
  
                                                             (more)
  
  The following is a list of the top 11 organizations receiving utility patents during 1995:
  
  
  Organization
  No. of Patents
  Rank in 1995
  Rank in 1994
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  IBM
  1,383
  1
  1
  
  
  Canon Kabushiki 
   Kaisha
   1,087
  2
  3
  
  
  
  U.S. Government
  1,026
  3
  2
  
  
  Motorola Inc.
  1,012
  4
  10
  
  
  NEC Corporation
  1,005
  5
  8
  
  
  Mitsubishi Denki
   Kabushiki Kaisha
   973
  6
  6
  
  
  Toshiba Corporation
  969
  7
  7
  
  
  Hitachi, Ltd.
  910
  8
  4
  
  
  Matsushita Electric
   Industrial Co.,Ltd.
   854
  9
  11
  
  
  Eastman Kodak
   Company
   772
  10
  9
  
  
  General Electric
   Company
   758
  11
  5
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The 10 foreign countries to receive the most patent grants during 1995 are:
  
  
  Country
  No. of Patents
  Rank in 1995
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Japan
  22,871
  1
  
  
  Germany
  6,875
  2
  
  
  France
  3,011
  3
  
  
  United Kingdom
  2,677
  4
  
  
  Canada
  2,447
  5
  
  
  Taiwan, Province of China
  2,087
  6
  
  
  Italy
  1,242
  7
  
  
  South Korea
  1,240
  8
  
  
  Switzerland
  1,185
  9
  
  
  Sweden
  914
  10
  
  
                               
                            (more)
                               
                               
                               
                               
                                The 10 states to receive the most patent grants are:
                               
                               
                            State
                        No. of Patents
                         Rank in 1995
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                          California
                            10,808
                              1
                               
                               
                           New York
                            5,264
                              2
                               
                               
                            Texas
                            4,296
                              3
                               
                               
                           Illinois
                            3,474
                              4
                               
                               
                          New Jersey
                            3,053
                              5
                               
                               
                           Michigan
                            3,045
                              6
                               
                               
                             Ohio
                            2,976
                              7
                               
                               
                         Pennsylvania
                            2,925
                              8
                               
                               
                           Florida
                            2,463
                              9
                               
                               
                        Massachusetts
                            2,427
                              10
                               
                               
                               
                            #####
                                1/30/96
  PTO 96-03