PlainPatent
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation

F5 Networks, Inc.

USPTO PatentsView assignee record - 214 granted patents across 7 technology areas, active 2015–2022. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION).

Explore the portfolio See the ranking
214
Total patents granted
7
CPC technology areas
20.5
Avg claims per patent
-70%
5-year filing velocity

The verdict

F5 holds 214 US patents across 7 technology areas, rank #1,873 of 50,000 tracked assignees.

#1,873
of 50,000 US assignees by volume
Top 35%
by Innovation Score (40.5/100)
20.5
avg claims per patent
-70%
filing velocity, last 5 yrs

Portfolio overview

F5 Networks, Inc. has been granted 214 US utility patents between 2015 and 2022, placing F5 Networks, Inc. at rank #1,873 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 7 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 20.5 claims per patent with primary concentration in H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION). As a US Corporation, F5 Networks, Inc. is one of the more focused assignees in the PatentsView dataset. By volume, F5 sits between Westerngeco L.l.c. (215 patents, rank #1,869) and MKS Instruments, Inc. (214 patents, rank #1,877) - the closest US assignees by grant volume. The composite Innovation Score of 40.5/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.

Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 49 grants, compared with 165 in the 2015–2019 window, a -70% shift in five-year velocity. A cooling filing rate may reflect portfolio consolidation, shifting priorities, or reduced R&D throughput. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.

Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. F5 Networks, Inc.'s 20.5 average claims per patent reflects complex, broadly scoped inventions that are difficult for competitors to design around, while concentration in 7 subclasses points to a focused technical program. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark F5 Networks, Inc. against peers pursuing similar technology classes.

Who files at F5's volume?

Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus its nearest-ranked assignees by volume, this company marked ◀

patents

What this shows F5 holds 214 patents at rank #1,873, shown against the 8 assignees closest to it in grant volume rather than the industry's largest filers.

Source USPTO PatentsView, granted utility patents As of 2015–2025

Companies ranked near F5

By rank, the assignees closest to #1,873 in granted patent volume.

Leaders in H04L (Transmission OF Digital Information)

Other assignees with the most granted patents in F5's primary technology class.

F5's Innovation Score vs. every tracked assignee

Composite of portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth (0–100)

41 Top 35% higher than 65% of 50,000 US assignees

0–10: 687 US assignees (1%). Below this entry. 10–20: 2,527 US assignees (5%). Below this entry. 20–30: 13,162 US assignees (26%). Below this entry. 30–40: 15,294 US assignees (31%). Below this entry. 40–50: 11,491 US assignees (23%). This entry sits in this band. 50–60: 5,058 US assignees (10%). Above this entry. 60–70: 1,537 US assignees (3%). Above this entry. 70–80: 234 US assignees (0%). Above this entry. 80–90: 10 US assignees (0%). Above this entry. 90–100: 0 US assignees (0%). Above this entry. This assignee 0 100 every tracked assignee, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US assignees. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USPTO PatentsView, PlainPatent Innovation Score · 2015–2025

01020304050 20152016201720182019202020212022 3
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2022

Grants by year

Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.

View data table
F5 Networks, Inc. patent grants by year, 2015–2025
Year Patents Granted Share of Period
2015 44 20.6%
2016 30 14.0%
2017 35 16.4%
2018 29 13.6%
2019 27 12.6%
2020 18 8.4%
2021 28 13.1%
2022 3 1.4%

Which technologies does F5 Networks, Inc. patent most?

Top 7 of 7 technology areas

Patent Moat Analysis

Portfolio Volume Moderate
Tech Breadth Focused
Claim Depth Complex
Velocity Declining

Where it ranks

Overall rank by patents

#1,873

Across all tracked assignees

Innovation Score

40.5 out of 100

View all rankings →

Data Source

USPTO PatentsView, US granted patents 2015–2025

How is Innovation Score calculated?

Frequently Asked Questions

How many patents does F5 Networks, Inc. hold?
F5 Networks, Inc. holds 214 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2022, spanning 7 technology areas.
What is F5 Networks, Inc.'s Innovation Score?
F5 Networks, Inc. has an Innovation Score of 40.5 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does F5 Networks, Inc. focus on?
F5 Networks, Inc.'s top technology area is H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION) with 191 patents. The company has filed patents in 7 CPC subclasses total.
Is F5 Networks, Inc.'s patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
F5 Networks, Inc.'s recent filing velocity is -70% compared to the prior five-year period. Filing activity has slowed relative to earlier years.
What does claim depth mean for F5 Networks, Inc.'s patents?
F5 Networks, Inc.'s patents average 20.5 claims each. This indicates complex, broadly scoped patents that are harder for competitors to design around.
How is the F5 Networks, Inc. patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.

How to use this portfolio

F5's 214 grants land it in the top 35% by Innovation Score, but volume alone doesn't tell you where the strength sits.

  • Read that count against the largest US assignees before treating it as dominance - F5 ranks #1,873 of 50,000. Top 50 holders
  • Most of this portfolio concentrates in H04L - see who else leads that technology area. H04L leaders
  • Check what the four-part Innovation Score actually rewards before comparing it to another company. How the score works

Patent counts and the Innovation Score measure patenting activity, not commercial success or the legal strength of any patent. Many patents are filed defensively. Verify the status of an individual patent against official USPTO records.

Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView - official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sources used on this page
  • USPTO PatentsView - the disambiguated bulk patent-grant, assignee, and CPC data this page's figures are derived from. patentsview.org
  • Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) - the joint USPTO/EPO classification scheme used to group patents by technology area. cooperativepatentclassification.org
  • USPTO Patent Public Search - the official interface to verify the status of any individual patent. ppubs.uspto.gov

Every figure on PlainPatent is rendered directly from USPTO source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USPTO source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.