What eBay is patenting — and where it isn't
Portfolio archetype: Established · slowing · 7,605 US patents.
Covers 3 entities: EBAY INC, EBAY KOREA CO LTD, EBAY. US-only.
| Total US patents | 7,605 |
|---|---|
| Granted / Applications | 3,243 / 4,362 |
| Estimated in force | 7,388 |
| Filing span | 1998–2025 |
| Filing momentum | slowing — recent-window filings down to ~76% of the prior window |
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Where they focus
Closest competitors
Top other assignees in this portfolio's main technology areas. Raw assignee names — a single company may appear under several name-variants.
| Assignee | Areas of activity | US patents |
|---|---|---|
| INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 160,666 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 45,628 |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 41,526 |
| INTEL CORPORATION | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 34,120 |
| MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 31,494 |
| FUJITSU LIMITED | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 25,155 |
| HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD | Data Networking · Digital Computing · Business & Financial Tech | 24,452 |
| APPLE INC | Digital Computing · Data Networking · Business & Financial Tech | 23,966 |
Strategic read
For a competitor
The wall sits squarely in Business & Financial Tech (G06Q), where this portfolio concentrates 3,398 of its 7,605 patents, backed by 2,065 in Digital Computing (G06F) and 836 in Data Networking (H04L) — anyone operating in e-commerce transaction, payment, or marketplace workflows should map their products against this G06Q cluster first. Filing momentum has slowed to roughly 76% of the prior window, so the wall's edges are stabilizing rather than expanding, but with ~7,388 estimated in force the existing footprint remains broad. Note that the surrounding CPC space is crowded with large general-tech holders such as IBM and Microsoft, so freedom-to-operate analysis should account for overlapping prior art beyond this single owner.
For an acquirer
Diligence should center on the heavy concentration in Business & Financial Tech (G06Q) — 3,398 patents, nearly 45% of the 7,605-patent portfolio — which means the asset's value is tied to the durability and breadth of that single CPC area rather than a diversified spread. The split of 3,243 granted against 4,362 pending (including never-granted applications) warrants close review of which applications are still live and likely to issue, since pending volume here exceeds granted. Momentum has eased to about 76% of the prior filing window; examine whether the slowing reflects a deliberate narrowing of scope and check claim coverage and any standards-essential exposure in the G06Q and H04L clusters directly.
For a licensee
For anyone operating in payments, marketplaces, or transaction-processing software, the relevant depth is the 3,398-patent Business & Financial Tech (G06Q) cluster, complemented by 2,065 in Digital Computing (G06F) and a smaller 222-patent AI & Machine Learning (G06N) set worth watching for emerging coverage. With a filing span back to 1998 and an established maturity, this is a seasoned body of art in commerce technology rather than a frontier position. The ~76% slowing in recent filings suggests the core areas to license against are already defined, so targeting should focus on the established G06Q footprint.
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AI-generated research summary, not legal or investment advice — consult a registered patent attorney before any decision. One of PatentLens.AI's free sample reports — browse all company reports.