IBM軟件工程師杰里米·格林伯格勾畫專利草圖，此項專利正在等待公司總部審核，北卡羅來納州三角研究區。

2016年IBM獲得了8088項美國專利，部分因為該公司在人工智能和預測性分析領域的研究很有突破。同時，高通和谷歌等其他美國公司也在獲得專利方面名列前茅。在很多人眼里，從專利數量能看出創新能力。

研究機構IFI Claims Patent Services公布的數據顯示，總部設在西雅圖的亞馬遜去年獲得1662項專利，增長了46%。從國家看，美國公司獲專利數量提高了41%，隨后是日本（21%）和韓國（15%）

以下是IFI報告截圖，蘋果公司連續第二年排在第11位：

IBM software engineer Jeremy Greenberg sketches out a patent he has pending at the company's headquarter's in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

IBM earned a record 8,088 U.S. patents in 2016 thanks in part to the company's research into artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. Meanwhile, other American U.S. tech companies, including Qualcomm and Google were among the other leaders in earning patents, which many see as a metric of innovation.

The figures, published by researcher IFI Claims Patent Services, also show Amazon (amzn) posting a 46% increase in patenting activity as the Seattle company claimed 1,662 inventions last year. From a country perspective, U.S. firms led with 41% of all patents received, followed by Japan (28%) and South Korea (15%).

Here is a screenshot from the IFI report, which listed Apple as No. 11 for the second year in a row:

除了亞馬遜，另外幾家公司去年獲得專利的數量也大幅提升。IFI的報告指出：“2016年漲幅較大的包括諾基亞增加74%、現代增加39%，中國的華為增幅達到50%……英特爾也比2015年多了36%。”

IFI的數據顯示，過去兩年獲專利最多的是IBM。該公司首席創新官伯尼·梅爾森曾對《財富》雜志透露，IBM獲得專利猛增是專心研發的成果，特別是在人工智能領域。

梅爾森表示：“認知時代的來臨幫我們走在全人類的前列。我們的電腦沃森可不是在參加Jeopardy!電視問答秀時剛出現，至少五年前就已完成研發。”梅爾森還說，IBM在計算機驅動分析方面的研究將大大造福醫療健康和供應鏈管理等領域。

這份年度專利數據公布時，恰逢美國專利系統飽受質疑。批評人士認為專利系統授予的弱專利過多，而且默許所謂的“專利流氓”（有些公司不從事生產，專門靠提起專利訴訟獲利）勒索認真經營的企業。美國最高法院也一直在密切關注專利系統——最近還專門就一起專利起訴地存在爭議的案件舉行了聽證會。（財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

In addition to Amazon, several other companies posted significant increases in patent grants last year. "Big gainers in 2016 include Nokia, up 74%; Hyundai up 39%; China’s Huawei Technologies, up 50%; ... and Intel, up 36% over 2015," according to the IFI report.

IBM (ibm) has earned more patents than any other company for the past 24 years, according to IFI. The company's Chief Innovation Officer, Bernie Meyerson, told Fortune that the company's patent bounty is the result of a deliberate focus on R&D, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.

"The emergence of the cognitive era helped us get a jump on nearly everyone. Watson didn’t happen when Jeopardy happened—it happened at least five years before," said Meyerson, who added the company's research into computer-driven analytics will result in major benefits in fields like health and supply chain management.

The annual patent numbers came out amid ongoing questions about the state of the U.S. patent system, which critics say grants too many weak patents and allows so-called "patent trolls" (firms that don't produce anything but simply file patent lawsuits) to shake down productive companies. The patent system is also the subject of ongoing scrutiny by the Supreme Court, which recently appeared to hear an important venue case.