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INSIGHTS

Patent Data & Insights

Data-driven analysis of patent trends, litigation activity, technology landscapes, and IP valuation benchmarks.

ArcPrime Research · July 2026

1 in 8 Patents Has a Flaw You Only Find When You Try to Enforce It

Patent examiners check whether an invention is new. Whether the patent will hold up when its owner tries to use it is a different question, and the first time it gets asked is usually in litigation. We analyzed all 564,109 independent claims granted over eleven months, each judged against the litigated claims of its own technology area: one new patent in eight carries a verified flag, and flag rates between large filers run 28-fold apart.

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235,577
patents examined (a census, not a sample)
564,109
independent claims analyzed
12.6%
carry at least one verified flag

ArcPrime Research · March 2026

Shaping Your Portfolio from the Patent Up

What separates the patents that get asserted from the ones that never do? We analyzed 6,500+ U.S. litigations over five years to find out — and the patterns are visible years before any dispute.

Read the interactive report

6,500+
U.S. litigations analyzed
9,700
asserted patents profiled
24
industries compared

All insights

The Software Docket

Software and internet companies faced 247 patent suits between August 2025 and July 2026. Most were brought by entities that hold patents without building products, and the patents they choose differ sharply from the ones a competitor brings.

The Automotive Docket

Automotive companies faced 46 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. The vehicle divides the docket. Body, glass and accessories draw competitors. The electric drivetrain and everything connected to a network draw entities that build nothing, and they draw them exclusively.

The Medical Device Docket

Medical device companies faced 56 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. Competitors brought three quarters of them, on patents they filed themselves and kept alive through continuation chains that are still open.

The Media Docket

Media and entertainment companies faced 63 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. The usual test of holding the patent up to the light and asking whether it looks like a bought legacy filing does not sort the asserters here, because the operating companies are asserting the older and larger portfolios.

The Retail Docket

Retail and e-commerce companies faced 108 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. One of the 84 companies sued holds patents it has asserted anywhere. The lever in this industry sits in supplier agreements rather than in a portfolio.

The Industrial Docket

Mechanical and industrial companies faced 112 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026, split evenly between competitors and entities that build nothing. The patents asserted here reach court a median 3.0 years after grant, and the usual rule that a non practicing assertion means an old bought patent does not hold.

The Financial Services Docket

Financial services companies faced 74 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. Seventeen non practicing entities and seven operating companies brought them, resting on 40 distinct patents. The asserted universe is small enough to be catalogued in full.

The Telecom Docket

Telecommunications companies faced 77 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. Nine came from a company that sells a competing product. One of those was a dispute between direct competitors.

The Semiconductor Docket

Semiconductor and electronics companies faced 163 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. Counterassertion is a working practice here rather than a theory, and the docket records competitors suing each other on the same day.

The Consumer Goods Docket

Consumer goods companies faced 217 patent suits between August 2025 and August 2026. Operating companies brought most of them, which leaves a defensive portfolio pointed at a party that can actually be sued back in the majority of matters.

The Quarterly Patent Docketing Audit

Four quarterly checks a one- or two-person IP team can sustain: coverage, entry integrity, annuity ownership, continuity. With the US maintenance fee calendar.

Spreadsheets vs. Patent Management Software: An Honest Comparison (With Self-Audit)

Spreadsheet, legacy IPMS, or ArcPrime: a straight comparison for IP teams. Includes two scored self-audits, six questions to ask any vendor, and an honest verdict on when to stay put.

AI Patent Filing Trends

Explore AI patent filing trends across technology areas, geographies, and companies. Data-driven analysis of the AI patent landscape.

5G SEP Landscape Analysis

Analysis of the 5G SEP landscape—top declarants, essentiality rates, licensing trends, and what it means for implementers.

Patent Litigation Statistics & Trends

Key patent litigation statistics—filing trends, NPE activity, damages awards, and jurisdiction analysis.

NPE Campaign Tracking & Trends

Track NPE patent assertion campaigns. See which NPEs are most active, which industries they target, and defense strategies.

EV Battery Patent Landscape

Analysis of the EV battery patent landscape—cell chemistry, solid-state, and manufacturing innovation trends.

Pharmaceutical Patent Cliff Analysis

Analysis of upcoming pharmaceutical patent expirations and their impact on the industry. Drug patent cliff data and trends.

Global Patent Filing Trends

Analysis of global patent filing trends across offices, technology areas, and applicant types.

IP Valuation Benchmarks & Methods

What patents and portfolios actually sell and license for. ArcPrime's valuation benchmarks pull comparable deals and rates to anchor a defensible number.

Patent Claim Drafting Benchmarks

Data from 9,600 asserted patents reveals how independent claim length, specification size, and figure count differ from non-asserted patents across industries.

Patent Assertion Plaintiff Patterns

Analysis of 6,500+ patent litigations reveals who sues whom, which industries are rising and declining, and how company size affects litigation risk.

Patent Acquisition & Assertion Trends

Data from 6,500+ litigations shows asserted patents are more often acquired than organically filed. Analysis of NPE vs OpCo acquisition patterns.

Patent Family Size & Continuation Strategy

Data from 6,500+ litigations shows asserted patents come from larger families with more continuations. Analysis by industry and plaintiff type.

Forward Citations & Patent Value

Forward citations signal patent value, but they are noisier than you think. See where the signal holds, where it breaks, and how ArcPrime scores it.

Patent Assertion Timing & Characteristics

When do patents get asserted? Data from 9,700 patents shows median assertion age is 13 years, with patterns in claim count, Track One use, and continuations.

How to Build a Data-Driven Patent Pruning Process

Learn how to shift from gut-instinct patent pruning to a data-driven process. Practical steps, key evaluation factors, and how AI enables continuous portfolio optimization.

Switching Your IPMS: A Guide for IP Teams

A practical guide to migrating from legacy IP management systems like Anaqua, Symphony, or IPFolio. Covers data quality, integration, timelines, and evaluation criteria.

Power Every Patent Decision
With One Platform

See how ArcPrime connects your portfolio, workflows, and business context to help your team make better decisions across the patent lifecycle.

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