TSMC Creates a Global Strategic Patent Portfolio: Continue Pioneering in Top 10 of U.S. Patent Assignees for the 3rd Consecutive Year
As a leading global dedicated IC foundry service provider, TSMC continues pioneering advanced technology by investing considerable resources and efforts into technology development. To protect the Company's R&D achievements and strengthen its technology leadership, TSMC establishes a strong patent and IP management system, and works closely with various patent offices for technical exchanges and training, assisting patent examiners to achieve a better understanding about the Company's advanced technical contents and the patent examination process accelerating. The number of TSMC's patent applications in Taiwan has ranked first for three consecutive years. In addition, TSMC was ranked No. 6 among the 2018 US patent assignees according to IFI CLAIMS. The Company accumulates over 36,000 patent grants worldwide as of the end of June, 2019.
Objectives
Close Ties with Domestic and International Patent Offices through Advanced Technology Trainings
TSMC has established a strong internal IP management system, which includes worldwide patent profiling strategy, in-depth invention mining for comprehensive protection, application monitoring throughout prosecution and regular patent landscape monitoring. TSMC has established a diversified reward system to encourage its employees to file their inventions, and has also built a robust patent and IP management system with a hierarchical review process to ensure the quality of patent applications.
Externally, TSMC works closely with both domestic and international patent offices, where the main markets of our products locate, through technical exchanges, to help patent examiners achieve a better understanding of the technical content that TSMC provided and accelerate the patent examination process. Those efforts will contribute to a high quality patent protection. For example, TSMC delivers speeches on advanced technology to the semiconductor group at USPTO Annual Tech Fair every year, which has attracted hundreds of patent examiners and their supervisors to join.
Visits by Patent Related Entities to TSMC
Unlike the fragmental knowledge described in the general patent specification, TSMC's sharing gave us a thorough understanding on the semiconductor's evolutionary toward 10 nanometer technology, which helps to create a better patent environment.
TSMC Ranked 6th among US Patent Assignees with 98% of Allowance Rate
TSMC proactively builds up close ties with both domestic and international patent offices, and cooperates with them in protecting intellectual property protection. TSMC has accumulated over 36,000 patent grants worldwide as of the end of June, 2019. In Taiwan, the number of TSMC's patent applications has ranked first for three consecutive years; In addition according to IFI CLAIMS, TSMC has been one of the top 10 patent holders in the US for three consecutive years, and ranked No. 6 in 2018.
TSMC's Patent Grants Worldwide
Average of 3-Year Patent Approval Rate
Equivalent emphasis on both quality and quantity is the core principle of TSMC's patent management. TSMC has received 98% patent approval rate, the highest one among top 10 patent assignees in the US for 3 consecutive years. Moreover, the Company's patent approval rates within other countries have exceeded 95%, higher than the average rates in that country. According to Juristat (US) and CAASA (China), TSMC's patent quality stays on top of other large semiconductor companies worldwide. These fruitful achievements have protected TSMC's technology innovation, and laid a solid foundation for the Company's growth and competitive advantages.