Assignment history

Inventors

The sole named inventor for US patent 6771381 is Laurence C. Klein. His employer at the time of filing is not determinable from the provided patent text, as the original assignee is listed simply as "Individual" and then later assigned to "IMAGINATION SOFTWARE" in 2001.

Original assignee

The original assignee listed on the patent application as of the filing date (1999-11-12) was an "Individual". The first recorded assignment was to IMAGINATION SOFTWARE on 2001-01-09, making them the first corporate assignee. Information regarding whether IMAGINATION SOFTWARE shipped a product embodying the claims, their primary line of business, or their current status is not available from the provided patent text.

Assignment timeline

Note: Reel/Frame numbers and Correspondent information are not available from the provided patent text or the specified USPTO Patent Assignment Search URL (which I do not have live access to). The dates provided are primarily recording dates, with one explicit correction to an execution date.

• 1999-11-12 (filed) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Application filing
  • Assignor: Laurence C. Klein (Inventor)
  • Assignee: Individual (Laurence C. Klein)
  • Context: Original filing by the inventor.

• 2001-01-09 (recorded) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Laurence C. Klein
  • Assignee: IMAGINATION SOFTWARE
  • Context: Transfer from individual inventor to a corporate entity.

• 2003-03-03 (recorded) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Laurence C. Klein, IMAGINATION SOFTWARE, INC.
  • Assignee: DONNER INC.
  • Context: Transfer from prior corporate owner and inventor to a new corporate entity.

• 2009-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2011-02-22 (corrected 2011-03-02) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Assignment (Corrective Assignment recorded 2011-03-02 to reflect this execution date)
  • Assignor: DONNER, INC.
  • Assignee: RENAISSANCE GROUP IP HOLDINGS, LLC
  • Context: Transfer from operating company to an entity with "IP Holdings" in its name, often indicative of an intellectual property management or assertion entity.

• 2012-02-02 (recorded) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: RENAISSANCE GROUP IP HOLDINGS, LLC
  • Assignee: PROJECT PAPERLESS, LLC
  • Context: Transfer between two entities focused on IP management.

• 2012-09-19 (recorded) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: PROJECT PAPERLESS, LLC
  • Assignee: MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC
  • Context: Transfer between IP management entities. MPHJ is a known patent assertion entity.

• 2013-07-02 (recorded) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC
  • Assignee: BONITA SUNRISE, LLC, WEXFORD HOLDINGS, LLC
  • Context: Security interest granted by MPHJ to other entities.

• 2013-10-04 (recorded) — No Reel/Frame

  • Conveyance: Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment
  • Assignor: PROJECT PAPERLESS, LLC
  • Assignee: MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC
  • Context: Corrective assignment to confirm or clarify prior transfer to MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 6771381
    1999 : Filed by Individual inventor
    2001 : Assigned to Imagination Software
    2003 : Assigned to Donner Inc
    2004 : Issued
    2009 : Assigned to Renaissance IP Holdings
    2011 : Corrective assignment recorded
    2012 : Assigned to Project Paperless LLC
         : Assigned to MPHJ Tech Investments
    2013 : Security Agreement granted
         : Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment
         : Litigation initiated
    2014 : Additional litigation filed
    2019 : Anticipated expiration

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer from DONNER INC. to RENAISSANCE GROUP IP HOLDINGS, LLC (executed 2009-09-30, recorded 2011-02-22) shows "IP Holdings" in the assignee name, indicating a focus on intellectual property management rather than product development. Subsequent transfers to PROJECT PAPERLESS, LLC (2012-02-02) and MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC (2012-09-19) further reinforce this, as these names suggest licensing or investment vehicles.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC is a known high-frequency patent plaintiff (NPE), and is listed as the current assignee for US6771381. The patent text itself lists MPHJ Technology Investments LLC as the "Current Assignee" and states it has "Family has litigation".
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear. Correspondent information is not available from the provided patent text.
4. Cascading transfers — present. There are three assignments in a relatively short period: to RENAISSANCE GROUP IP HOLDINGS, LLC (effective 2009-09-30), to PROJECT PAPERLESS, LLC (2012-02-02), and to MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC (2012-09-19). This represents three transfers over approximately 2.5 years, consistent with a pattern of rapid transfers between IP-focused entities.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The assignment to MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC occurred on 2012-09-19. Litigation against MPHJ related to this patent began to be filed in 2013, with cases noted in Vermont District Court (2:13-cv-00170), Louisiana Eastern District Court (2:13-cv-00801), and a PTAB IPR (IPR2013-00309) all filed in 2013. This places the initial litigation filings within 12 months (and for some, within 6 months) of MPHJ acquiring the patent, suggesting the transfer was in preparation for assertion.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No information in the patent text indicates a bankruptcy event for any assignor.
7. Privateering — unclear. While MPHJ is a known NPE, the patent text does not provide information about whether an operating company transferred the patent to MPHJ to assert on its behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain terminates with MPHJ Tech Investments LLC, which is an assertion entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. This verdict is supported by multiple strong signals. MPHJ TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, LLC, a known patent assertion entity, is the current assignee. The assignment chain includes transfers to entities with "IP Holdings" and "Paperless" in their names, strongly suggesting shell entities focused on IP monetization. Furthermore, the assignment to MPHJ occurred on 2012-09-19, closely preceding multiple infringement lawsuits filed in 2013, indicating a pre-litigation transfer to enable assertion.

For verification, refer to the USPTO Assignment Center search page: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search for patent number 6771381).