Why Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft patent application activity has been declining

The overall patent application activity of the biggest software and tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft has been collectively declining over the past three years. While overall patent application activity had reached its peak in 2013 with 9,804 patents applied for by these companies, in year-to-date 2016 it has declined to a low of 2,221 patent applications, according to a recent CB Insights report.

Source: CB Insights

In 2014 the patents applied for had declined to 9,230, in 2015 it had further reduced to 6,140.

The reason for this decline in patent activity is that more of the patents which they had applied for have been published, said the report.

This can be seen as overall patent granted activity has been growing significantly since 2013. Total grants published for these five tech giants has topped 10,000 for the first time in 2016 to date. Till date in 2016 the overall patents has grown to 10,549.

Source: CB Insights

From 2013 the patents granted has increased steadily from 7,519 to 9013 patents granted in 2014. In 2015 the patents granted had increased to 9,679.

Apart from Google, the other four tech giants have seen a growth patents granted in 2016. Microsoft's granted patents grew to 2,820 in 2016 from 2,702 in 2015. Apple too has seen its patents granted grow from 2,130 in 2015 to 2,414 patents granted in 2016. Amazon's patents granted has significantly grown from 1,153 in 2015 to 1,635 in 2016. Facebook has seen its patents grow from 387 patents in 2015 to 432 patents granted in 2016.

Source: CB Insights

Google however has seen a decline in growth of patents granted. While it had 3,307 patents granted in 2015, it has now declined marginally to 3,248 patents granted in 2016.

However, on the whole from 2011 to 2015 there has been huge rise in the patents granted to Google as it stood at just 415 patents granted in 2011 to 3,307 patents granted in 2015.

Source: CB Insights

Similarly, Apple, Amazon and Facebook has seen a huge growth in patents granted activity.

While Microsoft dominated patent application for artificial intelligence (AI) patents in 2014, Google now has increased its AI patent application significantly in the last two years.

Source: CB Insights

Google leads the other tech giants in terms of vehicle tech patents application as it has been working on its Self-Driving Car project. Apple follows in second place fir vehicle tech patents.

In terms of AR/VR patent applications, Microsoft has been a dominant player followed closely by Google.