The 2012 Patent Rankings: IBM on Top (Again), Google and Apple Surging - NYTimes.com

Check the IFI link for the top-50 2012 list

"I.B.M. was granted more patents in 2012 than any other company, the 20th consecutive year in the top spot, according to the annual tally by IFI Claims Patent Services, published on Thursday.
The technology giant is flush these days, so its patent pre-eminence in recent years seems routine. What is more impressive is that the winning streak was just under way when I.B.M. went into a tailspin in the early 1990s. Despite sharp cutbacks elsewhere in the company, I.B.M. kept investing in its research engine."

The 2012 Patent Rankings: IBM on Top (Again), Google and Apple Surging - NYTimes.com