Assignment history

Inventors

• Graham Merrett: Employer at the time of filing is not explicitly stated in the patent document.

Original assignee

The entity named on the issued patent is Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP.
Based on the patent description and the ongoing litigation [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US11653182](/patent/US11653182)/en], their primary line of business appears to be related to messaging services and patent assertion. It is unclear if they shipped a product embodying the claims, as the provided patent text and Google Patents information focuses on the system and methods rather than specific commercial products. Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP is currently listed as "Active" on Google Patents. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US11653182/en]

Assignment timeline

I accessed the USPTO Assignment Center (https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/) and searched for patent number 11653182.

No assignment records were found for US patent 11653182 after its issuance to Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP.

This means that, according to USPTO records, the ownership of this specific patent has not changed since it was granted to the original assignee. The current owner remains Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11653182
    2007 : Priority date
    2022 : Application filed by Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP
    2023 : Patent issued to Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP
         : Litigation initiated by Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Unclear. While Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP could be a licensing-only entity, there's no recorded transfer from an operating company to such a shell entity for this specific patent. Public information suggests Rembrandt IP Management, LLC controlled Rembrandt Messaging Technologies, LP and Rembrandt Messaging Technologies II, LP, which are involved in monetization. However, this patent was issued directly to Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP, so a "transfer" to a shell for this specific patent isn't recorded.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP, and its related entity HBCU Messaging US LP (f/k/a Rembrandt Messaging Technologies II, LP), are identified as patent assertion entities. A January 2025 article from Mondaq and October 2024 article from RPX Insight explicitly state that HBCU Messaging US LP (f/k/a Rembrandt Messaging Technologies II, LP), a subsidiary of the HBCU Technology Foundation, has accused Apple and Green Dot of infringing this patent and others in a Western District of Texas complaint (1:24-cv-01199). These articles also detail the history of "Rembrandt IP umbrella" as an IP monetization firm with ten litigation campaigns.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. There are no recorded assignments for this patent, thus no chain to observe repeat correspondents.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There are no recorded assignments for this patent.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. There are no recorded assignments for this patent. The patent was issued directly to Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP, and this entity is initiating litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication of Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP undergoing bankruptcy proceedings related to this patent.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP (and its related entities) asserts patents, it is not explicitly clear from the provided information whether it is doing so on behalf of an operating company against competitors. The focus is on its own monetization activities.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent is not currently assigned to a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is based on the strong signal that Rembrandt Messaging Technologies LP (and its related entities like HBCU Messaging US LP, formerly Rembrandt Messaging Technologies II, LP) is a known asserter involved in extensive patent monetization and litigation campaigns, including a current active case (1:24-cv-01199) asserting this very patent against Apple and Green Dot. The patent was issued directly to this entity, which is actively litigating it, indicating its primary purpose is assertion rather than product development for this particular IP.

(Verification link: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/)