OneTwelve AI

Ownership time machine · real data

International Business Machines Corporation

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Multi-Factor Intelligence

United States · group structure from the OneTwelve entity map

Thirty years of IBM patent ownership, fully traced.

OneTwelve’s Multi-Factor Intelligence Tools untangle decades of assignments, mergers, spin-offs and renames into one crystal-clear picture — and every step links back to the recorded USPTO document behind it.

125,783
plus 146,036 pending applications
U.S. patents held today by the IBM group
116,485
the rest sit with subsidiaries such as Red Hat
In IBM’s own name
6,386
all recorded assignments
Patents & applications acquired from outside the group
47,425
all recorded assignments
Patents & applications transferred out of the group

Recorded USPTO assignments since 1990. 184,741 inventor-to-employer assignments are counted separately and not shown as moves.

2026ACQUIREDWITHIN GROUPTRANSFERRED1995200020052010201520202025GlobalFoundries USGoogleLenovo PtePure StorageMariana HddCleversafeTwitter
AS OF 2026
101
Moves
2,496
In
45,524
Out
1,863
In group

Drag across the chart to zoom into any period · click a move for its recorded evidence · ← → to step through moves

Where the patents went

Band width = patents in the recorded move. Press play to scan through the years. Click a band.

The biggest recorded moves · 14 of 97

ACQUIREDTRANSFERRED OUTWITHIN THE IBM GROUPNo acquisitions recorded in these yearsNo transfers out in these yearsCleversafe1,003 patents · 2016Open Invention609 patents · 2012Software AG114 patents · 2024Software Labs111 patents · 2021Merge Healthcare71 patents · 2021Computer Task69 patents · 2015GlobalFoundries US16,455 patents · 2015Kyndryl4,179 patents · 2021Google2,450 patents · 2010Lenovo Pte1,664 patents · 2005Pure Storage1,656 patents · 2019Red Hat (rename)669 patents · 2026International Business405 patents · 2001IBM International248 patents · 2008IBMgroupAS OF2026
Transferred out

2015-08-07 → 2017-08-21

16,455 patents transferred to GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC

13 recorded documents

The path, as recorded

Steps after GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC are its own later recorded transfers, which can include patents it already held.

  1. 1International Business Machines CorporationIBM group
  2. 2GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC16,455 patents · 2015
  3. 3GlobalFoundries Inc.later transfer recorded by the recipient · 16,449 patents · 2015

Recorded assignments · USPTO reel/frame

  • 36550/12015-09-03
    ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST16,077 patents
  • 37409/8692016-01-03
    ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST180 patents
  • 37591/2252016-01-25
    ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST88 patents

Patents moved per year · click a year to zoom

Bar height on a square-root scale. Exact recorded totals per year, all assignments (not only the moves shown).

Group membership today · entity map

  • Red HatUltimate owner: International Business Machines Corporation
  • HashiCorpUltimate owner: International Business Machines Corporation
  • KyndrylSeparate ultimate owner (KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC.)
  • GlobalFoundriesSeparate ultimate owner (GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.)

Where this comes from

OneTwelve ownership graph, as of 2026-09-28. Recorded USPTO assignments (ownership transfers, mergers and name changes; security interests, releases and inventor assignments excluded). Patent counts sum the properties on the recorded documents. Group membership per the OneTwelve entity map; joined-the-group dates come from corporate registry records and reviewed disclosures. Moves of 40+ patents are shown; inventor-to-employer assignments are excluded. Recorded assignments show where patents moved; on their own they do not prove the business reason for a move. Story captions are generated from the recorded moves.

IBM patent ownership history: the recorded moves

Between 1996 and 2026, recorded USPTO assignments show the IBM group acquiring 6,386 patents and applications from outside the group and transferring 47,425 out of it. 97 moves of 40 or more patents are traced here, each tied to the recorded document behind it. Today the group holds 125,783 U.S. patents and 146,036 pending applications.

Largest transfers out: GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC (16,455 patents, 2015); Kyndryl, Inc (4,179 patents, 2021); Google Inc (2,450 patents, 2010).

Largest acquisitions: Cleversafe, Inc (1,003 patents, 2016); Open Invention Network LLC (609 patents, 2012); Software AG (114 patents, 2024).

All 101 recorded moves, by year

2026

  • 669 patents re-recorded as Red Hat, LLC · USPTO reel/frame 74993/362, recorded 2026-03-02
  • 78 patents transferred to Kidon IP Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 74975/477, recorded 2026-02-23

2025

  • 40 patents transferred to Blue Heron Development LLC · USPTO reel/frame 70130/844, recorded 2025-02-06
  • Hashicorp, Inc. joined the IBM group
  • 71 patents moved to International Business Machines Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 72476/436, recorded 2025-08-19

2024

  • 114 patents acquired from Software AG · USPTO reel/frame 69048/240, recorded 2024-09-25

2022

  • 743 patents transferred to Merative US L.P. · USPTO reel/frame 61496/752, recorded 2022-09-21
  • 59 patents acquired from Turbonomic, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 62202/30, recorded 2022-12-21

2021

  • 985 patents transferred to Airbnb, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 56427/193, recorded 2021-01-15
  • 145 patents transferred to Green Market Square Limited · USPTO reel/frame 55078/982, recorded 2021-01-22
  • 447 patents transferred to Maplebear Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 55155/943, recorded 2021-01-28
  • 71 patents acquired from Merge Healthcare Incorporated · USPTO reel/frame 55661/386, recorded 2021-03-19
  • 111 patents acquired from Software Labs Campus Unlimited Company · USPTO reel/frame 56396/942, recorded 2021-05-26
  • 4,179 patents transferred to Kyndryl, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 57885/644, recorded 2021-10-13
  • 242 patents transferred to Doordash, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 57826/939, recorded 2021-10-15
  • 235 patents transferred to Awemane Ltd. · USPTO reel/frame 57991/960, recorded 2021-11-02
  • 64 patents transferred to Hyundai Motor Company · USPTO reel/frame 58191/341, recorded 2021-11-23
  • 58 patents transferred to Kia Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 58191/341, recorded 2021-11-23

2020

  • 150 patents moved to International Business Machines Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 52142/585, recorded 2020-03-17
  • 1,170 patents transferred to Elpis Technologies Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 52561/161, recorded 2020-05-04
  • 100 patents transferred to Edison Vault, LLC · USPTO reel/frame 54693/269, recorded 2020-12-18

2019

  • 107 patents transferred to Wrp IP Management, LLC · USPTO reel/frame 49033/410, recorded 2019-01-18
  • 68 patents transferred to Ecobee Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 48305/44, recorded 2019-02-12
  • 1,656 patents transferred to Pure Storage, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 49556/12, recorded 2019-06-21
  • 92 patents transferred to Acoustic, L.P. · USPTO reel/frame 49964/263, recorded 2019-08-05
  • 231 patents transferred to Hcl Technologies Limited · USPTO reel/frame 50170/19, recorded 2019-08-26
  • 54 patents transferred to Wayfair LLC · USPTO reel/frame 50867/899, recorded 2019-10-29
  • 1,115 patents transferred to Daedalus Group LLC · USPTO reel/frame 51032/784, recorded 2019-11-14

2018

  • 58 patents transferred to Finjan Blue, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 44677/133, recorded 2018-01-19

2017

  • 87 patents transferred to Utopus Insights, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 42700/530, recorded 2017-06-06
  • 46 patents acquired from Permabit Technology Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 43631/449, recorded 2017-09-19
  • 76 patents transferred to Dropbox, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 43938/489, recorded 2017-09-25

2016

  • 67 patents transferred to HGST Netherlands B.V. · USPTO reel/frame 37569/134, recorded 2016-01-21
  • 170 patents transferred to Midway Technology Company LLC · USPTO reel/frame 37704/257, recorded 2016-02-05
  • 283 patents transferred to Servicenow, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 38218/384, recorded 2016-03-23
  • 1,003 patents acquired from Cleversafe, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 38551/369, recorded 2016-04-28
  • 83 patents transferred to Hulu, LLC · USPTO reel/frame 38729/267, recorded 2016-05-26
  • 49 patents acquired from Fiberlink Communications Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 39001/462, recorded 2016-06-24

2015

  • 107 patents transferred to Rakuten, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 35176/403, recorded 2015-03-17
  • 55 patents transferred to Shoreline Innovations, LLC · USPTO reel/frame 34954/956, recorded 2015-02-11
  • 801 patents transferred to Linkedin Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 35201/479, recorded 2015-03-13
  • 69 patents acquired from Computer Task Group, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 35533/133, recorded 2015-04-30
  • 40 patents moved to Red Hat, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 39089/424, recorded 2016-07-06
  • 45 patents transferred to Domo, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 36087/456, recorded 2015-07-14
  • 16,455 patents transferred to GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC · USPTO reel/frame 36550/1, recorded 2015-09-03
  • Merge Healthcare Inc. joined the IBM group
  • 269 patents transferred to Snapchat, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 37332/694, recorded 2015-12-18

2014

  • 943 patents transferred to Twitter, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 32075/404, recorded 2014-01-16
  • 68 patents transferred to Sinoeast Concept Limited · USPTO reel/frame 32080/216, recorded 2014-01-29
  • 136 patents moved to International Business Machines Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 32818/551, recorded 2014-05-05
  • 861 patents transferred to Lenovo International Limited · USPTO reel/frame 34194/291, recorded 2014-11-10
  • 843 patents transferred to Lenovo Enterprise Solutions Pte. Ltd. · USPTO reel/frame 34194/111, recorded 2014-11-10

2013

  • 47 patents moved to International Business Machines Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 29605/230, recorded 2013-01-10
  • 196 patents transferred to Mentor Graphics Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 29733/156, recorded 2013-02-01
  • 288 patents transferred to Activision Publishing, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 29900/285, recorded 2013-02-28
  • 50 patents acquired from Texas Memory Systems, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 30081/35, recorded 2013-03-26
  • 41 patents re-recorded as Merge Healthcare Solutions Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 30573/179, recorded 2013-06-06
  • 143 patents transferred to Intellectual Discovery, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 30596/562, recorded 2013-06-12
  • 74 patents transferred to Alibaba Group Holding Limited · USPTO reel/frame 31457/416, recorded 2013-10-23
  • 139 patents transferred to Workday, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 31833/513, recorded 2013-12-20

2012

  • DemandTec, Inc. joined the IBM group
  • 696 patents transferred to Facebook, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 27991/576, recorded 2012-04-04
  • 269 patents transferred to Sap AG · USPTO reel/frame 28540/522, recorded 2012-07-12
  • 131 patents transferred to Intel Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 28550/241, recorded 2012-07-12
  • 609 patents acquired from Open Invention Network LLC · USPTO reel/frame 43276/799, recorded 2017-08-08
  • 430 patents transferred to Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 28895/935, recorded 2012-09-04
  • 309 patents transferred to Ebay Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 29388/488, recorded 2012-11-30

2011

  • 52 patents transferred to Microsoft Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 27102/539, recorded 2011-10-21

2010

  • 586 patents transferred to Tessera, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 51489/557, recorded 2020-01-06
  • 267 patents transferred to Trend Micro Incorporated · USPTO reel/frame 24390/164, recorded 2010-05-17
  • Amicas, Inc. joined the IBM group
  • 44 patents acquired from Shirk/heath, Sandra J · USPTO reel/frame 24583/404, recorded 2010-06-23
  • 2,450 patents transferred to Google Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 26664/866, recorded 2011-07-12

2009

  • 49 patents acquired from Xiv Ltd. · USPTO reel/frame 22159/949, recorded 2009-01-27
  • 55 patents acquired from Transitive Limited · USPTO reel/frame 22824/715, recorded 2009-06-16
  • 56 patents moved to IBM Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 22928/190, recorded 2009-07-07
  • 59 patents transferred to RPX Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 22951/408, recorded 2009-07-14
  • 76 patents transferred to Tessera Intellectual Properties, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 22990/23, recorded 2009-07-21

2008

  • 248 patents moved to IBM International Group B.V. · USPTO reel/frame 21301/428, recorded 2008-07-29
  • 208 patents transferred to Ultratech, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 28867/216, recorded 2012-08-29
  • 1,005 patents transferred to Nuance Communications, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 22330/88, recorded 2009-03-02

2007

  • 119 patents transferred to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · USPTO reel/frame 18767/913, recorded 2007-01-10
  • 66 patents transferred to Wistron Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 19280/534, recorded 2007-05-14
  • 61 patents acquired from Internet Security Systems, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 19920/128, recorded 2007-10-04
  • 147 patents transferred to IPG Healthcare 501 Limited · USPTO reel/frame 20083/864, recorded 2007-11-09
  • 57 patents acquired from Micromuse Limited · USPTO reel/frame 20105/359, recorded 2007-11-14

2006

  • 56 patents transferred to Right Chance Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 18688/279, recorded 2006-12-28
  • 49 patents transferred to Xyratex Technology Limited · USPTO reel/frame 18688/901, recorded 2006-12-20

2005

  • 1,664 patents transferred to Lenovo Pte. Ltd. · USPTO reel/frame 16891/507, recorded 2005-08-04
  • 228 patents transferred to Mediatek Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 17045/559, recorded 2005-11-22
  • 44 patents transferred to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 16814/771, recorded 2005-11-28
  • 251 patents transferred to Au Optronics Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 16926/247, recorded 2005-12-21
  • 49 patents acquired from Ascential Software Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 17555/184, recorded 2005-12-26

2003

  • 539 patents transferred to Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V. · USPTO reel/frame 14118/775, recorded 2003-05-28

2002

  • 50 patents transferred to Jds Uniphase Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 12590/705, recorded 2002-02-19
  • 55 patents transferred to Cadence Design Systems, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 12894/49, recorded 2002-05-14
  • 1,397 patents transferred to Mariana Hdd B.V. · USPTO reel/frame 13663/348, recorded 2003-01-08

2001

  • 405 patents moved to International Business Machines Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 45060/35, recorded 2018-01-11

2000

  • 263 patents transferred to Cisco Systems, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 10637/718, recorded 2000-03-02

1998

  • 40 patents transferred to Unova, Inc. · USPTO reel/frame 9670/450, recorded 1998-12-21

1996

  • 98 patents transferred to Lockheed Martin Corporation · USPTO reel/frame 8430/312, recorded 1996-12-23