Canon is ranked first among Japanese companies and third overall for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2015, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services in January 2016.
As part of its research and development efforts, Canon actively pursues patents in a number of countries and regions while taking into consideration local business strategies and technology trends. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.
Canon has ranked in the top five patent holders for 30 consecutive years.