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AlibabaAppleMicrosoft

Technology portfolios compared in the same window and counting units. Scale is compared only within the same field or subclass.

Same window · published 2025-01-01 — 2025-12-31Some name or date coverage is incomplete; affected counts are lower bounds

This is a structural comparison of collected portfolios. The same requested window does not establish equal entity scope, covered months or industry; no competitive ranking is inferred.

Applicant-name coverage differs. The counts below cover only the listed names and do not represent complete company portfolios.

Alibaba: Applicant names included in these statistics — ALIBABA CHINA CO LTD · ALIBABA CLOUD COMPUTING CO LTD · ALIBABA CLOUD COMPUTING LTD · ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTDReviewed names not covered — ALIBABA (CHINA) CO., LTD. · ALIBABA CLOUD COMPUTING CO., LTD. · ALIBABA CLOUD COMPUTING LTD. · ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED · 阿里云计算有限公司 · 阿里巴巴集团控股有限公司 · 阿里巴巴(中国)有限公司

Apple: Applicant names included in these statistics — APPLE INCReviewed names not covered — APPLE COMPUTER INC · APPLE COMPUTER, INC. · APPLE INC. · APPLE, INC.

Microsoft: Applicant names included in these statistics — MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLCReviewed names not covered — MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC · MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC.

Alibaba

Publications
1,101
Invention share
96%
Concentration
0.51
Green technology
—

Apple

Publications
12,360
Invention share
87%
Concentration
0.38
Green technology
—

Microsoft

Publications
7,140
Invention share
97%
Concentration
0.59
Green technology
—
0.78

Alibaba × Apple

0.95

Alibaba × Microsoft

0.85

Apple × Microsoft

Cosine similarity of application counts across 35 fields. 1 is identical, 0 is no overlap.

01Technology field mirror

The 12 fields with the largest combined share. Share shows structure; count shows scale.

Technology field mirror
Technology fieldAlibaba / Apple / Microsoft
Computer technology
63.5%
39.1%
72.5%
Digital communication
12.5%
42.1%
22.4%
Audio-visual technology
29.8%
14.2%
10.5%
Telecommunications
0%
13.9%
3.3%
Optics
0%
7.2%
3.8%
IT methods for management
3.7%
2.4%
4.2%
Measurement
0.8%
5.7%
2.1%
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
0.3%
4.8%
2.1%
Semiconductors
0.6%
3%
2.1%
Basic communication processes
0.6%
2%
1.3%
Medical technology
0.4%
2.6%
0.7%
Control
0.2%
1.9%
1%

Inspect one technology field

Inspect collected applications, portfolio share and supporting publications within one field. A technology overlap does not establish that companies in different industries are direct competitors.

Apple

Collected applications
531
Share of collected applications with IPC
4.8%

Coverage is incomplete; counts and shares describe only the collected subset.

View Apple publications in this field

One application may belong to multiple fields, so shares can sum to more than 100%. Drill-down lists publications; an application publication and its grant may appear separately.

02Same problem: shared IPC subclasses

The 10 subclasses in every company's top 60 with the most combined applications. Scale is compared within a subclass, never across different business scopes.

G06FData processing
Alibaba547
Apple3,635
Microsoft3,890
H04WWireless networks
Alibaba9
Apple3,570
Microsoft196
H04LDigital transmission
Alibaba113
Apple2,146
Microsoft1,379
H04NPictorial communication, video
Alibaba331
Apple931
Microsoft482
G06TImage processing
Alibaba67
Apple986
Microsoft479
G06NComputing models, AI
Alibaba173
Apple200
Microsoft1,064
G06VImage and video recognition
Alibaba70
Apple417
Microsoft295
G06QBusiness data processing
Alibaba40
Apple264
Microsoft290
G10LSpeech processing
Alibaba25
Apple240
Microsoft250
H04RLoudspeakers, microphones
Alibaba2
Apple318
Microsoft35

03Where each one leans

Observed emphasis within each company’s collected top-60 IPC subclasses. A dash for another company means outside its top-60 list, not zero applications or a market gap. Incomplete coverage can also change the ordering.

Alibaba

  • H04NPictorial communication, video
    Alibaba
    331
    Apple
    931
    Microsoft
    482
  • G06VImage and video recognition
    Alibaba
    70
    Apple
    417
    Microsoft
    295
  • G06NComputing models, AI
    Alibaba
    173
    Apple
    200
    Microsoft
    1,064
  • H10BMemory devices
    Alibaba
    2
    Apple
    —
    Microsoft
    —
  • B25JManipulators, robots
    Alibaba
    1
    Apple
    —
    Microsoft
    —
  • F02B
    Alibaba
    1
    Apple
    —
    Microsoft
    —

Apple

  • H04WWireless networks
    Alibaba
    9
    Apple
    3,570
    Microsoft
    196
  • H04BTransmission
    Alibaba
    —
    Apple
    981
    Microsoft
    108
  • G02BOptical elements
    Alibaba
    —
    Apple
    679
    Microsoft
    236
  • H04MTelephonic communication
    Alibaba
    —
    Apple
    405
    Microsoft
    83
  • H04RLoudspeakers, microphones
    Alibaba
    2
    Apple
    318
    Microsoft
    35
  • G09GDisplay control
    Alibaba
    —
    Apple
    300
    Microsoft
    69

Microsoft

  • G06FData processing
    Alibaba
    547
    Apple
    3,635
    Microsoft
    3,890
  • H04LDigital transmission
    Alibaba
    113
    Apple
    2,146
    Microsoft
    1,379
  • G10LSpeech processing
    Alibaba
    25
    Apple
    240
    Microsoft
    250
  • H05KPrinted circuits, assemblies
    Alibaba
    3
    Apple
    155
    Microsoft
    164
  • A63F
    Alibaba
    —
    Apple
    26
    Microsoft
    69
  • G06QBusiness data processing
    Alibaba
    40
    Apple
    264
    Microsoft
    290

04Publication rhythm

AlibabaAppleMicrosoftPublications per period
Publications per period
PeriodAlibabaAppleMicrosoft
2025-01≥78 (partial coverage)≥1,049 (partial coverage)≥539 (partial coverage)
2025-02≥71 (partial coverage)≥968 (partial coverage)≥503 (partial coverage)
2025-03≥72 (partial coverage)≥1,319 (partial coverage)≥603 (partial coverage)
2025-04≥65 (partial coverage)≥1,232 (partial coverage)≥647 (partial coverage)
2025-05≥71 (partial coverage)≥993 (partial coverage)≥566 (partial coverage)
2025-06≥83 (partial coverage)≥846 (partial coverage)≥487 (partial coverage)
2025-07≥82 (partial coverage)≥956 (partial coverage)≥686 (partial coverage)
2025-08≥104 (partial coverage)≥989 (partial coverage)≥563 (partial coverage)
2025-09≥119 (partial coverage)≥906 (partial coverage)≥587 (partial coverage)
2025-10≥94 (partial coverage)≥928 (partial coverage)≥689 (partial coverage)
2025-11≥115 (partial coverage)≥1,005 (partial coverage)≥582 (partial coverage)
2025-12≥147 (partial coverage)≥1,169 (partial coverage)≥688 (partial coverage)

Empty dashed outlines mark uncollected periods. Hatched bars and ≥ counts mark partial coverage.

Publication timing follows examination and publication cycles, not R&D intensity.

What makes it comparableThe same publication window and counting units. Companies with different windows are not put in one comparison.

What is not comparableGroup totals. Business and entity scopes differ; compare scale within a field or subclass.

Not a rankingSimilarity and shares describe structure, not patent value, quality or technical leadership.