Google Inc. has managed to enter the top ranks of technology companies building stockpiles of legally-protected innovations, thanks to the fact that the company was awarded nearly 2,000 patents in the U.S. over 2013. This is almost double the number of all previous year combined.
Analysis of patent office filings reveal that the rapid growth is one of the key signs that Google tries to make its relatively weak position in the smartphone industrys patent wars more stable. The company is also facing a fierce competition on some promising new technology markets, such as “wearable” computing field, which became more and more popular among technology companies over the last few years.
Allen Lo, who is the Chief Patent lawyer of Google Inc. said: “Our hope is to avoid a war. Hopefully we can learn from the smartphone litigation.”
When it comes to issued patents, the annual ranking compiled by the patent research company IFI Chaims showed that Google was outside the top 50 in 2011, and in 2012 it was ranked on the 21st position. Now the company is trying to consolidate its positions, and the boost is considered to be also a result of some new products the company has currently launched on the market.
Over the last years most new technology markets became patent lawsuits arena, because companies are fighting for dominance. This means that if Google accumulates rights early, it will gain strong position on new technology markets, which are considered most profitable.
Brian Love, who is an assistant professor at Santa Clara University law school said: “To date, those acquired patents have not lived up to their price tag. [As a result,] I think Google decided to focus more on building its patent portfolio with in-house applications.”
According to a review of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database, in 2013 the company was assigner 1,920 patents. This gives some analysts the grounds to think Google will finish in the top 10, ahead of companies such as General Electric Co. and LG Electronics Inc.
According to CNN Money, the current share price of Google Inc. is 0.01% down, and its one-year return rate is 0.85% up. The 40 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for Google Inc. have a median target of 1,125, with a high estimate of 1,313.00 and a low estimate of 850.00. The median estimate represents a .046% decrease from the last price of 1,130.18.
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