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AlibabaMetaMicrosoft

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

Meta: Applicant names included in these statistics — FACEBOOK INC · META PLATFORMS INC · META PLATFORMS TECH LLCReviewed names not covered — FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES LLC · FACEBOOK, INC. · META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES , LLC · META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC · META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC · META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC. · META PLATFORMS, INC. · OCULUS VR LLC

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
—

Meta

Publications
1,545
Invention share
97%
Concentration
0.43
Green technology
—

Microsoft

Publications
7,140
Invention share
97%
Concentration
0.59
Green technology
—
0.81

Alibaba × Meta

0.95

Alibaba × Microsoft

0.83

Meta × 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 / Meta / Microsoft
Computer technology
63.5%
49.3%
72.5%
Audio-visual technology
29.8%
17%
10.5%
Digital communication
12.5%
12.4%
22.4%
Optics
0%
36.7%
3.8%
IT methods for management
3.7%
2.1%
4.2%
Telecommunications
0%
5.5%
3.3%
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
0.3%
5.4%
2.1%
Measurement
0.8%
4.1%
2.1%
Semiconductors
0.6%
3.9%
2.1%
Medical technology
0.4%
2.5%
0.7%
Furniture, games
0%
1.6%
1%
Basic communication processes
0.6%
0.6%
1.3%

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.

Meta

Collected applications
79
Share of collected applications with IPC
5.4%

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

View Meta 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
Meta541
Microsoft3,890
H04LDigital transmission
Alibaba113
Meta112
Microsoft1,379
G06NComputing models, AI
Alibaba173
Meta41
Microsoft1,064
H04NPictorial communication, video
Alibaba331
Meta135
Microsoft482
G06TImage processing
Alibaba67
Meta307
Microsoft479
G06VImage and video recognition
Alibaba70
Meta122
Microsoft295
G06QBusiness data processing
Alibaba40
Meta31
Microsoft290
G10LSpeech processing
Alibaba25
Meta60
Microsoft250
H04WWireless networks
Alibaba9
Meta101
Microsoft196
H05KPrinted circuits, assemblies
Alibaba3
Meta30
Microsoft164

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
    Meta
    135
    Microsoft
    482
  • G06NComputing models, AI
    Alibaba
    173
    Meta
    41
    Microsoft
    1,064
  • G08G
    Alibaba
    2
    Meta
    —
    Microsoft
    —
  • B25JManipulators, robots
    Alibaba
    1
    Meta
    —
    Microsoft
    —
  • F02B
    Alibaba
    1
    Meta
    —
    Microsoft
    —
  • G01F
    Alibaba
    1
    Meta
    —
    Microsoft
    —

Meta

  • G02BOptical elements
    Alibaba
    —
    Meta
    483
    Microsoft
    236
  • G06TImage processing
    Alibaba
    67
    Meta
    307
    Microsoft
    479
  • G02FOptical control devices
    Alibaba
    —
    Meta
    69
    Microsoft
    19
  • H04WWireless networks
    Alibaba
    9
    Meta
    101
    Microsoft
    196
  • H01QAntennas
    Alibaba
    —
    Meta
    49
    Microsoft
    16
  • H04RLoudspeakers, microphones
    Alibaba
    2
    Meta
    52
    Microsoft
    35

Microsoft

  • H04LDigital transmission
    Alibaba
    113
    Meta
    112
    Microsoft
    1,379
  • G06FData processing
    Alibaba
    547
    Meta
    541
    Microsoft
    3,890
  • H04MTelephonic communication
    Alibaba
    —
    Meta
    8
    Microsoft
    83
  • G06QBusiness data processing
    Alibaba
    40
    Meta
    31
    Microsoft
    290
  • H10N
    Alibaba
    2
    Meta
    —
    Microsoft
    45
  • H03K
    Alibaba
    —
    Meta
    —
    Microsoft
    31

04Publication rhythm

AlibabaMetaMicrosoftPublications per period
Publications per period
PeriodAlibabaMetaMicrosoft
2025-01≥78 (partial coverage)≥116 (partial coverage)≥539 (partial coverage)
2025-02≥71 (partial coverage)≥146 (partial coverage)≥503 (partial coverage)
2025-03≥72 (partial coverage)≥163 (partial coverage)≥603 (partial coverage)
2025-04≥65 (partial coverage)≥153 (partial coverage)≥647 (partial coverage)
2025-05≥71 (partial coverage)≥142 (partial coverage)≥566 (partial coverage)
2025-06≥83 (partial coverage)≥124 (partial coverage)≥487 (partial coverage)
2025-07≥82 (partial coverage)≥123 (partial coverage)≥686 (partial coverage)
2025-08≥104 (partial coverage)≥130 (partial coverage)≥563 (partial coverage)
2025-09≥119 (partial coverage)≥94 (partial coverage)≥587 (partial coverage)
2025-10≥94 (partial coverage)≥153 (partial coverage)≥689 (partial coverage)
2025-11≥115 (partial coverage)≥102 (partial coverage)≥582 (partial coverage)
2025-12≥147 (partial coverage)≥99 (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.