I always find it sort of silly the way Microsoft is accused of being tight with information on how to develop with our products, yet there is loads and loads of information on MSDN and then the ability to license information as the Samba group did.  IBM is often 1st up to hit Microsoft with a "your mean and successful and patent everything" yet here is another article, another year and IBM leads the patent list:

This story appeared on Network World at http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/011408-patent-list.html

IBM retains slim lead among patent-winners; Samsung, Microsoft gain ground

U.S. patent backlog more than 1.1 million after drop in patents issued

By Jon Brodkin, NetworkWorld.com, 01/14/08

IBM secured 3,148 patents in 2007, besting all other competitors for the 15th consecutive year, but Big Blue's lead is getting slimmer and Microsoft charged into the top 10 with 1,637 patents, according to an analysis that will be released Monday.

Microsoft, which ranked No. 6 on the annual list after failing to crack the top 10 the previous two years, was one of only five companies to achieve even half of IBM’s total patent output, according to IFI Patent Intelligence, a Wolters Kluwer Health business.

IBM has flexed its muscle in numerous patent disputes, winning a cash settlement from Amazon last May after claiming Amazon used IBM technology to build many of its e-commerce systems. Earlier this month, IBM convinced the U.S. government to investigate Asustek, a Taiwanese computer vendor accused of using IBM technology without authorization.

<snip>

Here’s the full top 25 list from IFI:

1. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP, 3,148 patents
2. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD KR, 2,725
3. CANON K K JP 1987
4. MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO LTD JP, 1,941
5. INTEL CORP, 1,865
6. MICROSOFT CORP, 1,637

go to the article http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/011408-patent-list.html to see the rest of the list and the rest of the article

ttfn

David