IBM patent records

IBM announced that its inventors received a record 5,896 U.S. patents in 2010, marking the 18th consecutive year it has topped the list of the world’s most inventive companies. IBM became the first company to be granted as many as 5,000 U.S. patents in a single year.Here is  table compiled from readily available resources:

2010: 5896
2009: 4914
2008: 4186
2007: 3148
2006: 3621
2005: 2941
2004: 3248
2003: 3415
2002: 3288
2001: 3411
2000: 2886
1999: 2756
1998: 2658
1997: 1724
1996: 1867
1995: 1383
1994: 1298
1993: 1085(2)  #1 US Goverment:1165
1992:  842(6)  #1 Canon:1106
1991:  679(8)  #1 Toshiba:1014
1990:     (9)