Assignment history

Inventors

• Jeffrey Cooper Rounds (Employer: Wolf Tactical LLC at the time of filing)

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Wolf Tactical LLC. Based on the patent's description, which states the invention "provides a semiautomatic trigger mechanism for increasing rate of fire that can be retrofitted into popular existing firearm platforms," and the company name, it is highly likely they intended to ship a product embodying the claims. Their current status is "acquired" regarding this patent, as ownership has transferred.

Assignment timeline

Here is the chronological assignment record for US Patent 10,514,223, based on Google Patents legal events and USPTO assignment records:

• 2018-09-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-09-27

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Jeffrey Cooper Rounds
  • Assignee: Wolf Tactical LLC
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available records.
  • Context: Original assignment from inventor to the initial assignee at the time of filing.

• 2020-06-10 (executed) / recorded 2020-06-10

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Wolf Tactical LLC
  • Assignee: RARE BREED TRIGGERS, LLC
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available records.
  • Context: Transfer of patent ownership from the original assignee to Rare Breed Triggers, LLC.

• 2025-05-02 (executed) / recorded 2025-05-02

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: RARE BREED TRIGGERS, LLC
  • Assignee: ABC IP, LLC
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available records.
  • Context: Transfer of patent ownership from Rare Breed Triggers, LLC to ABC IP, LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10514223
    2018 : Filed by Wolf Tactical LLC
         : Assigned from inventor to Wolf Tactical
    2019 : Issued
    2020 : Assigned to Rare Breed Triggers LLC
    2025 : Assigned to ABC IP LLC
    2026 : Litigation filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present.

   • The transfer to "ABC IP, LLC" on 2025-05-02 (executed) / 2025-05-02 (recorded) is a strong indicator. The name "ABC IP, LLC" strongly suggests a licensing-only entity, and public information about ABC IP LLC indicates it owns various trademarks, primarily in light beverage products, beer, and restaurant services, alongside firearm trigger related trademarks like "FRT-15" and "FRT-15L3". The combination of a generic "IP" suffix and a diverse, seemingly unrelated portfolio (firearms and beverages) points towards a shell entity focused on intellectual property monetization rather than product manufacturing in the firearm space.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present.

   • ABC IP LLC, the current assignee, is identified in legal analyses as a co-plaintiff with Rare Breed Triggers (RBT) in aggressive patent infringement lawsuits against competitors regarding forced reset triggers. This explicitly identifies ABC IP LLC as an entity actively asserting patents.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear.

   • The Google Patents legal events and the provided patent text do not include correspondent attorney information for the assignments. Therefore, it is unclear if the same correspondent recurs.

4. Cascading transfers — Not present.

   • There are only two transfers after the initial inventor assignment, spanning 2020-06-10 and 2025-05-02. This does not indicate multiple consecutive assignments through chained LLCs in a short timeframe.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present.

   • The patent was assigned to ABC IP LLC on 2025-05-02. The litigation summary shows several cases filed in 2025 and 2026, including 2:25-cv-04938 in Arizona District Court and 1:25-cv-00124 in Wyoming District Court, which would likely fall within six months of the transfer or soon after. This suggests the transfer was made in anticipation of, or to facilitate, the subsequent litigation.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present.

   • There is no indication in the patent information or general knowledge that Wolf Tactical LLC or Rare Breed Triggers, LLC filed for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — Present.

   • Rare Breed Triggers (RBT) has aggressively protected its market dominance through patent litigation, with ABC IP LLC acting as a co-plaintiff. This pattern suggests RBT, an operating company that manufactures "forced reset" triggers, is using ABC IP LLC to assert patents against its competitors. This is a strong indication of privateering, where an operating company transfers patents to an NPE to assert on its behalf against competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present.

   • The chain ends with ABC IP LLC, which is identified as an asserter, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is based on multiple strong signals. The transfer to "ABC IP, LLC" (2025-05-02), an entity whose name and diverse trademark portfolio are characteristic of a shell licensing entity, is a key indicator. Furthermore, ABC IP LLC is a known asserter, actively engaging in patent infringement lawsuits alongside Rare Breed Triggers, LLC, which itself manufactures products embodying the claims. This strongly suggests a privateering pattern, where an operating company (Rare Breed Triggers, LLC) is using a shell entity (ABC IP, LLC) to assert its patents against competitors. The timing of the transfer to ABC IP LLC also indicates a pre-litigation transfer, as numerous lawsuits followed shortly after.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US10514223