Overall rank by patents
#527
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView Foreign Corporation
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 856 granted patents across 142 technology areas, active 2015–2025. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: A61F (FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICE).
856
Total patents granted
142
CPC technology areas
21.0
Avg claims per patent
-6%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH has been granted 856 US utility patents between 2015 and 2025, placing W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH at rank #527 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 142 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 21.0 claims per patent with primary concentration in A61F (FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICE). As a Foreign Corporation, W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH is one of the broader-portfolio assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 66.3/100 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 415 grants, compared with 441 in the 2015–2019 window — a -6% shift in five-year velocity. A cooling filing rate may reflect portfolio consolidation, shifting priorities, or reduced R&D throughput. The Foreign 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. W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's 21.0 average claims per patent reflects complex, broadly scoped inventions that are difficult for competitors to design around, while a diversified footprint across 100+ CPC subclasses spreads risk across many technology fronts. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does WL compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- W L Gore & Associ… ◀ 856
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH
856 patents
What this shows W.L. holds 856 patents — placing it at rank #527 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2025
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 85 | 9.9% |
| 2016 | 91 | 10.6% |
| 2017 | 104 | 12.1% |
| 2018 | 75 | 8.8% |
| 2019 | 86 | 10.0% |
| 2020 | 69 | 8.1% |
| 2021 | 90 | 10.5% |
| 2022 | 69 | 8.1% |
| 2023 | 66 | 7.7% |
| 2024 | 65 | 7.6% |
| 2025 | 56 | 6.5% |
Which technologies does W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH patent most?
Top 15 of 142 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Moderate
Tech Breadth Diversified
Claim Depth Complex
Velocity Declining
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH hold?
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH holds 856 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2025, spanning 142 technology areas.
What is W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's Innovation Score?
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH has an Innovation Score of 66.3 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH focus on?
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's top technology area is A61F (FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRS) with 420 patents. The company has filed patents in 142 CPC subclasses total.
Is W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's recent filing velocity is -6% compared to the prior five-year period. Filing activity has slowed relative to earlier years.
What does claim depth mean for W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's patents?
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's patents average 21.0 claims each. This indicates complex, broadly scoped patents that are harder for competitors to design around.
How is the W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH 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.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
A61F technology
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH's primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
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.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
