[PATENT DATA]US software patents since July 2017
Top Companies in Mobile App Patent Filings
An in-depth list of the companies filing mobile app related software patents in the US, with direct links to every company's assigned patents.
[01]About the data
Who files the most mobile app patents?
Visa INT Service Association leads the list, followed by Mastercard INT Inc. and Capital ONE Services LLC.
The list ranks 1,532 companies by the number of US mobile app related software patent applications filed since July 2017, with the number of those applications granted as patents. Together they filed 16,802 applications and were granted 10,769 patents.
Each company links to a Google Patents search of its assigned patents, so you can read the claims behind the numbers. The table is the firm's published dataset, shown as it was compiled.
How to read the table
- Rank orders companies by patent applications filed in the period.
- Patent applications counts filings, granted or not. Patents granted counts those that issued.
- Assignee is the company that owns the filings, as named in the patent records.
What does this mean for a startup?
Large companies file patents on the features that set their products apart, and they enforce them. A startup that files early on its own key features has something to defend and something to show investors. Start with mobile app patents or SaaS patents, and see what a patentability search finds before you file.
Read more in mobile app patent examples and are mobile apps patentable.
[02]The list
Top companies in mobile app patent filings.
Scroll the table for every company. Each company name opens its patents on Google Patents.
Data from the firm's published dataset of US software patent filings by assignee since July 2017. Figures are as compiled and are not updated live.
Which company files the most mobile app patents?
In this list, Visa INT Service Association, with 534 US applications filed since July 2017 and 318 granted. Mastercard INT Inc. and Capital ONE Services LLC follow.
What is the difference between applications filed and patents granted?
An application is a request for a patent. It becomes a granted patent only after the USPTO examines and allows it, which often takes 2 to 3 years, so recent filings may still be pending.
Can a startup patent mobile app software?
Often, when the software performs a new technical process rather than an abstract idea. A patentability search shows what already exists before you file.
How do I look up a company's patents?
Use the Google Patents link in the table, or search the USPTO's patent database by assignee name. For a full picture of what a competitor owns, a patent attorney can run a professional search.
Protect your own mobile app features.
Talk through your idea with a registered patent attorney. The call is free, with no obligation.