Microsoft reaches 10,000 patents |
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Microsoft reaches 10,000 patents
Bart Eppenauer
Microsoft has joined the 10,000 club -- in patents. The software giant said it recently received its 10,000th U.S. patent, which means the company is averaging about 300 patents a year. The company says the 10,000 mark -- while a big number -- reflects its focus on quality rather than quantity. Rival IBM, for example, received 4,000 patents last year alone, according to Cnet's Ina Fried.
Microsoft's 10,000th patent -- U.S. Patent No. 7,479,950 -- was awarded for surface computing technology that recognizes physical objects placed on the flat computer display. Interestingly, two of the four co-inventors on the 10,000th patent -- Curtis Wong and Steven Ducker -- also were involved in the company's 5,000th patent. (A technology for people to become spectators of online video games." Wong alone has authored more than 45 patent applications since joining Microsoft in 1997.
Microsoft ranked fourth in number of U.S. patents registered last year at just over 2,000, with Microsoft's chief patent counsel Bart Eppenauer (pictured) saying that "patents are the currency of innovation."
“They enable Microsoft to share our innovations with others through licensing, and that in turn enables others to share their innovations back with us.”
The patent milestone comes just a few days after CEO Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft will spend about $9 billion on research and development this year.
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