Final answer:
IBM received the most U.S. patents in 2009, a year that saw substantial increases in patent applications due to technological advancements like the internet (C). However, inventors often receive only a portion of their inventions' economic value.
Step-by-step explanation:
The company that received the most U.S. patents for the year 2009 is IBM. The number of patent applications filed increased substantially beginning in the mid-1990s, which can be attributed to revolutionary technological advancements such as the invention of the internet. Despite the increasing number of patents being filed and granted, it is important to recognize that the system is not flawless.
Economic studies have suggested that in countries with pre-existing patent systems, inventors receive only a fraction of the total economic value that their inventions generate. Nevertheless, the surge in patent applications and grants, as shown in Figure 13.4, reflects the ongoing strength and innovation in technology and the corporate push to secure intellectual property rights.