Assignment history

Inventors

• Loralee Hajdu: Employer at time of filing (November 14, 2020) is not specified, but the patent lists "Original Assignee: Individual." The inventors previously developed and published the "Text Deflector" app under "Suite B Media Inc.".
• Oliver Hajdu: Employer at time of filing (November 14, 2020) is not specified, but the patent lists "Original Assignee: Individual." The inventors previously developed and published the "Text Deflector" app under "Suite B Media Inc.".

Original assignee

The patent lists "Individual" as the original assignee on the filing date of November 14, 2020. This indicates the inventors, Loralee Hajdu and Oliver Hajdu, initially held the rights directly. The inventors had previously launched a product embodying claims related to this patent family, the "Text Deflector" app, under "Suite B Media Inc." in 2013. The current assignee is CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC., to whom the patent was assigned in 2025.

Assignment timeline

• 2025-06-19 (executed) / recorded 2025-06-25 — Reel 065584/0488
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: Hajdu, Loralee; Hajdu, Oliver
  • Assignee: CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC.
  • Correspondent: Hajdu, Oliver; P.O. BOX 161864, Austin, TX, 78716. (This correspondent is one of the inventors).
  • Context: Transfer-to-asserter (transfer from individual inventors to a corporate entity, preceding patent assertion).

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11516643
    2020 : Filed by Loralee & Oliver Hajdu
    2022 : Issued to Loralee & Oliver Hajdu
    2025 : Assigned to Cedarwood Ventures Inc
    2026 : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Present. The patent was assigned from the individual inventors to "CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC." (Reel 065584/0488, recorded 2025-06-25). The assignee's name includes "Ventures," and the entity is actively asserting the patent in multiple lawsuits against major technology and telecommunications companies, indicating a primary business of patent licensing/assertion rather than product development.
2. Known asserter in the chain: Unclear. While CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC. is actively asserting the patent, it is not listed among the common high-frequency plaintiff NPEs provided in the prompt's list.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Present. Oliver Hajdu, one of the inventors, is listed as the correspondent for the assignment to CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC. (Reel 065584/0488). His role as both inventor and correspondent for the transfer to the asserting entity indicates a closely managed, likely internal, strategy for patent assertion.
4. Cascading transfers: Not present. Only one assignment is recorded for this patent.
5. Pre-litigation transfer: Present. The assignment to CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC. was executed on June 19, 2025, and recorded on June 25, 2025 (Reel 065584/0488). The first known infringement lawsuits related to this patent were filed in April 2026 (against Apple) and May 2026 (against Google and Verizon), occurring approximately 10-11 months after the assignment. This timing is indicative of a transfer preceding planned litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present. There is no indication of bankruptcy proceedings for the assignors.
7. Privateering: Unclear. The inventors previously developed and launched a product (Text Deflector) under "Suite B Media Inc." The subsequent assignment to CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC., an entity now asserting the patent, suggests a shift from product development to assertion. However, without more information on the current relationship between Suite B Media Inc. and Cedarwood Ventures, Inc., it's unclear if this is a direct privateering arrangement where an operating company uses an NPE to sue competitors on its behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not present. The current assignee is actively asserting the patent, not neutralizing it.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The confidence in this verdict is high due to the presence of multiple strong signals. The assignment to "CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC." (Reel 065584/0488, recorded 2025-06-25), a corporate entity whose name suggests a licensing focus, strongly indicates a shell-entity transfer. This transfer occurred in June 2025, a mere 10-11 months before the first known infringement lawsuits commenced in April and May 2026, marking it as a pre-litigation transfer. Furthermore, the correspondent for this assignment is Oliver Hajdu, one of the inventors, which highlights a direct and deliberate structuring of the patent for assertion purposes.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search for patent 11516643).