8. IBM

Patent value: 57,414

In 2009, IBM (IBM) was awarded 4,914 patents, up 50% from five years ago. The company noted that its record haul was more than the combined total of Microsoft (MSFT), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Oracle (ORCL), Apple (AAPL), Accenture (ACN), and Google (GOOG). But on an individual basis, IBM's patents are worth less than those belonging to others.