Fast Money’s 'Patented' Trade Possibilities

*This post was updated on Tuesday April 10th. An earlier version omitted the source for the information in the tables below. It now correctly credits IFI Claims Patent Services.

Shares of AOL surged on Monday, touching their highest level in 2 years, after the company agreed to sell and license patents to Microsoft in a deal valued at $1 billion.

AOL said it plans to return a "significant portion of the sale proceeds" to shareholders.

On the news we're thinking you might be curious to learn about other companies that hold valuable patent portfolios. Although we wanted to demand patent information from every company out there - that didn't seem realistic.

However, we were able to find out which companies applied for the most patents last year.

Maulin V. Shah, managing director & founder of Envision IP crunched the numbers for us and came up with the following:

Top Companies Receiving US Patents (Worldwide)

Company US Patents Granted (2011)
IBM 6,180
Samsung 4,894
Canon2,821
Panasonic 2,559
Toshiba2,483

Source: IFI Claims Patent Services

Top Companies Receiving US Patents (US-based)

CompanyUS Patents Granted (2011)
IBM 6,180
Microsoft 2,311
GE1,448
Hewlett Packard 1,308
Intel1,244

Source: IFI Claims Patent Services

“Many companies holds tons of patents, valuable patents," Shah tells us. In fact, Shah is currently working with a little known company in Japan, which he says holds valuable patents in social media.

Curious? Get all the details. Watch the video now!






______________________________________________________
Got something to to say? Send us an e-mail at fastmoney-web@cnbc.com and your comment might be posted on the Rapid Recap. If you'd prefer to make a comment, but not have it published on our Web site, send those e-mails to fastmoney@cnbc.com.


Trader disclosure: On Apr 9, 2012, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders; Karen Finerman is long AAPL; Karen Finerman is long BAC; Karen Finerman is long JPM; Karen Finerman is long WMT; Karen Finerman is long TGT; Karen Finerman is long RIMM; Karen Finerman is long HPQ; Karen Finerman is long SPY; Karen Finerman is long IWM; Karen Finerman is long MDX; Karen Finerman is short SPY; Joe Terranova is long VRTS; Joe Terranova is long IBM; Joe Terranova is long MED; Joe Terranova is long GS; Joe Terranova is long EMC; Joe Terranova is long MSFT; Joe Terranova is long HFC; Joe Terranova is long JOY; Joe Terranova is long OXY; Joe Terranova is long HPQ; Joe Terranova is long LQD; Joe Terranova is long COG; Steve Grasso is long ASTM; Steve Grasso is long AVAV; Steve Grasso is long BA; Steve Grasso is long D; Steve Grasso is long FRO; Steve Grasso is long MHY; Steve Grasso is long NUAN; Steve Grasso is long MO; Steve Grasso is long PFE; Steve Grasso is long PRST; Steve Grasso is long S; Steve Grasso is long XLU; Steve Grasso is long ZAZA; Brian Kelly is long USG; Brian Kelly is long IWM; Brian Kelly is long KRE; Brian Kelly is long US DOLLAR; Brian Kelly is short HYG; Brian Kelly is short YEN; Brian Kelly is short EUROSTOXX; Scott Nations is long SPY; Scott Nations is long C; Scott Nations is long BAC

For Amelia Bourdeau
Nothing to disclose

For Jason Basinet
Within the past 12 months, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has acted as manager or co-manager of an offering of securities of DIS
Within the past 12 months, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has acted as manager or co-manager of an offering of securities of TWX
Within the past 12 months, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has acted as manager or co-manager of an offering of securities of VIAB
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has received compensation for investment banking services provided within the past 12 months from CBS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has received compensation for investment banking services provided within the past 12 months from DIS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has received compensation for investment banking services provided within the past 12 months from TWX
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has received compensation for investment banking services provided within the past 12 months from VIAB
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates has received compensation for investment banking services provided within the past 12 months from NWSA
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates expects to receive or intends to seek, within the next three months, compensation for investment banking services from TWX
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or an affiliate received compensation for products and services other than investment banking services from CBS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or an affiliate received compensation for products and services other than investment banking services from DIS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or an affiliate received compensation for products and services other than investment banking services from DISC
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or an affiliate received compensation for products and services other than investment banking services from NWSA
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or an affiliate received compensation for products and services other than investment banking services from TWX
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or an affiliate received compensation for products and services other than investment banking services from VIAB
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as investment banking client(s): CBS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as investment banking client(s): DIS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as investment banking client(s): DISC
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as investment banking client(s): NWSA
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as investment banking client(s): TWX
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as investment banking client(s): VIAB
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, securities-related: CBS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, securities-related: DIS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, securities-related: DISC
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, securities-related: NWSA
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, securities-related: TWX
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, non-securities-related: CBS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, non-securities-related: DIS
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, non-securities-related: DISC
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, non-securities-related: NWSA
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, non-securities-related: TWC
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. currently has, or had within the past 12 months, the following as clients, and the services provided were non-investment-banking, non-securities-related: VIAB
Analysts' compensation is determined based upon activities and services intended to benefit the investor clients of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and its affiliates ("the Firm"). Like all Firm employees, analysts receive compensation that is impacted by overall firm profitability which includes investment banking revenues.
The Firm is a market maker in the publically traded equity securities of DISC
The Firm is a market maker in the publically traded equity securities of NWSA
The Firm is a market maker in the publically traded equity securities of VIAB



CNBC.com with wires.