Assignment history

Inventors

The sole inventor listed on the patent is Jacob W. Jorgensen. At the time of the patent application filing on July 9, 1999, he was the founder and CEO of the original assignee, Malibu Networks, Inc. His assignment of the patent to the company (Reel/Frame 010645/0369) is a standard arrangement for a founder/employee.

Original Assignee

The original assignee of US 6,628,629 was Malibu Networks, Inc., a Calabasas, California-based startup. The company was founded in 1998 to develop and sell point-to-multipoint (PtMP) wireless broadband systems, which are the subject of the patent. Malibu Networks was an operating company that produced and marketed products such as the "U-30" wireless system. The company ultimately failed to gain significant market traction and its assets, including its patent portfolio, were acquired.

Assignment Timeline

• 1999-09-28 / Recorded 1999-09-29 — Reel 010645/0369

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: Jacob W. Jorgensen
  • Assignee: MALIBU NETWORKS, INC.
  • Correspondent: Lyon & Lyon LLP, Los Angeles, CA
  • Context: Routine assignment from the inventor to his company.

• 2000-05-01 / Recorded 2000-06-08 — Reel 011032/0839

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: MALIBU NETWORKS, INC.
  • Assignee: MMC/GATZ PARTNERSHIP NO. 1, COMDISCO, INC., SILICON VALLEY BANK
  • Correspondent: Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, San Diego, CA
  • Context: Collateral assignment for financing, a common step for venture-backed startups.

• 2002-05-22 / Recorded 2002-06-25 — Reel 013233/0894

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: MALIBU NETWORKS, INC.
  • Assignee: TRANSAMERICA TECHNOLOGY FINANCE CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, Stamford, CT
  • Context: Collateral assignment for financing.

• 2002-09-12 / Recorded 2002-12-19 — Reel 013233/0925

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: Jacob W. Jorgensen
  • Assignee: MALIBU NETWORKS, INC.
  • Correspondent: Rutan & Tucker, LLP, Costa Mesa, CA
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from the inventor, likely to clean up title records.

• 2004-02-12 / Recorded 2004-02-27 — Reel 014798/0878

  • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest (Termination of Security Agreement)
  • Assignor: MMC/GATX PARTNERSHIP, NO. 1, et al.
  • Assignee: MALIBU NETWORKS, INC.
  • Correspondent: Thelen Reid & Priest LLP, Los Angeles, CA
  • Context: Release of the 2000 security interest, returning full rights to the company.

• 2010-12-15 / Recorded 2011-03-01 — Reel 025498/0197 (Corrected at 025852/0064)

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: A group of investors including Polaris Venture Partners and Dow Chemical Company.
  • Assignee: STAC NETWORKS CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Cooley LLP, San Diego, CA
  • Context: This appears to be part of a restructuring or asset transfer from the original investors of Malibu Networks to a new entity, Stac Networks.

• 2010-12-15 / Recorded 2011-03-01 — Reel 025498/0225

  • Conveyance: Secured Party Bill of Sale and Transfer Statement
  • Assignor: STAC NETWORKS CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VAN DREBBEL MARINER LLC
  • Correspondent: David C. Radulescu, Radulescu LLP, New York, NY
  • Context: A "fire-sale" style transfer, often associated with a distressed company, to what appears to be a patent holding entity.

• 2011-07-22 / Recorded 2011-07-27 — Reel 026859/0511

  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: VAN DREBBEL MARINER LLC
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC
  • Correspondent: Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, Bellevue, WA
  • Context: Transfer of the patent to Intellectual Ventures, one of the world's largest and most well-known patent assertion entities (NPEs).

• Note: The litigation initiated in 2021 by INVT SPE LLC indicates a subsequent transfer or licensing agreement between Intellectual Ventures and INVT SPE LLC, which is an affiliate of the major patent monetization firm Fortress Investment Group. This transfer is not recorded in the USPTO assignment database as of today's date, but the litigation record confirms the patent is now being asserted by this entity.

Timeline Diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 6,628,629
    1999 : Filed by inventor Jorgensen
         : Assigned to Malibu Networks Inc
    2003 : Patent Granted
    2010 : Assets to Stac Networks
         : Sold to Van Drebbel Mariner
    2011 : Acquired by Intellectual Ventures
    2017 : First litigation filed
    2019 : Patent Expired
    2021 : Asserted by INVT SPE LLC

NPE / Troll-Pattern Signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Present.
   • The transfer to Van Drebbel Mariner LLC (Reel 025498/0225) and subsequently to Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Reel 026859/0511) are classic examples of an operating company's assets being moved into non-practicing entities for the purpose of monetization.
2. Known asserter in the chain: Present.
   • Intellectual Ventures (the assignee in Reel 026859/0511) is one of the most prominent patent assertion entities in the world.
   • INVT SPE LLC, the plaintiff in the 2021 litigation, is a known affiliate of Fortress Investment Group, another major patent monetization firm.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Not present.
   • While the correspondents are law firms specializing in this type of work, no single attorney or firm appears on multiple, unrelated transfers in this specific chain.
4. Cascading transfers: Present.
   • The patent was transferred from the original investors to Stac Networks Corp. (as part of a larger asset deal) on December 15, 2010. On the very same day, it was sold from Stac Networks to Van Drebbel Mariner LLC (Reel 025498/0225). Just seven months later, it was moved again from Van Drebbel to Intellectual Ventures (Reel 026859/0511). This rapid series of transfers from an operating company's remnants to monetization-focused entities is a strong indicator of NPE activity.
5. Pre-litigation transfer: Present.
   • While not recorded, the patent was effectively transferred from Intellectual Ventures' control to INVT SPE LLC, which then began an assertion campaign on June 15, 2021. This indicates the asset was positioned for litigation. The original 2017 litigation was filed by an entity named "Malibu Division, LLC," which appears to be a predecessor enforcement vehicle.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Unclear.
   • The assignment record shows multiple "Security Agreements" followed by a "Secured Party Bill of Sale" (Reel 025498/0225), which strongly suggests the original assignee, Malibu Networks, defaulted on its debt, and its assets (including this patent) were sold off to satisfy creditors. While this is characteristic of a "fire-sale," a formal bankruptcy filing is not explicitly confirmed by these records alone.
7. Privateering: Not present.
   • Malibu Networks, the original operating company, is defunct. The current assertion campaign is being conducted by third-party monetization firms, not on behalf of the original patent creator.
8. Defensive aggregator: Not present.
   • The patent is held by entities known for offensive litigation, not defensive pooling.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The assignment history clearly shows the patent was acquired out of the defunct original company's assets (Reel 025498/0225) and then quickly moved to a well-known patent assertion entity, Intellectual Ventures (Reel 026859/0511). The subsequent litigation campaign by another known monetization firm, INVT SPE LLC, confirms the patent's use as a tool for generating licensing revenue through litigation, not for protecting a commercial product.

You can review the full assignment history on the USPTO Patent Assignment Search page.