Every earlier deal had another institution paying for a license to USAA's patents. Every earlier deal had another institution paying for a license to USAA's patents. : Bank of America holds nearly 7,400 granted patents and pending applications, which it calls the most of any financial services company. All four of those deals were one-way; another institution licensed the right to use USAA's patents. American Banker reviewed the bank's patent litigation; Bank of America turns up in dozens of patent cases, nearly always as the defendant.