Assignment history

Inventors

Theodore B. Achacoso and D. Wayne Silby are the named inventors. Their employer at the time of filing was GroupServe Inc., the original assignee. No unusual patterns are immediately determinable from the provided information regarding their departure from the original assignee.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is GroupServe Inc.

GroupServe Inc. appears to have been involved in groupware software and communication services, as the patent itself describes the "Centrifugal Communication and Collaboration Method (CCCM)" as being incorporated into the design of products like "groupware software and communications services". The patent references GroupServe Inc. as the applicant and original assignee. While there are current entities named "Groupserve Ltd." in London, associated with management consultancy, and "KP Group" which serves clients, it's unclear if these are direct descendants or related to the original "GroupServe Inc." that filed the patent. It is also unclear if the original GroupServe Inc. shipped a product embodying the claims, or its current operating status. Other search results for "GroupServe" refer to a function of serving groups (e.g., "Group Serve" drink sizes or financial services to groups), not a specific company named GroupServe Inc.

Assignment timeline

• 2001-03-20 (executed) / recorded 2001-03-20 — Reel 011985/0793
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ACHACOSO, THEODORE B.; SILBY, D. WAYNE
  • Assignee: GROUPSERVE, INC.
  • Correspondent: NOT PROVIDED
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to the original assignee.
• 2005-06-20 (executed) / recorded 2005-06-20 — Reel 016335/0824
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: GROUPSERVE, INC.
  • Assignee: GROUPSERVE IP TRUST LLC
  • Correspondent: Robert M. Schwartz, ROBERT M. SCHWARTZ, P.C.
  • Context: Transfer from original assignee to an IP trust.
• 2013-02-22 (executed) / recorded 2013-02-27 — Reel 029705/0111
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: GROUPSERVE IP TRUST, LLC
  • Assignee: LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC
  • Correspondent: Ronald S. Laurie, RAJ DESAI & LAURIE LLP
  • Context: Transfer from IP trust to a new LLC.
• 2013-03-01 (executed) / recorded 2013-03-05 — Reel 029729/0816
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC
  • Assignee: SAMPO IP LLC
  • Correspondent: Ronald S. Laurie, RAJ DESAI & LAURIE LLP. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer between LLCs.
• 2015-02-02 (executed) / recorded 2015-02-04 — Reel 033069/0638
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: MARATHON PATENT GROUP, INC.; SAMPO IP, LLC
  • Assignee: DBD CREDIT FUNDING, LLC
  • Correspondent: Marc A. Bell, ROPES & GRAY LLP
  • Context: Securitization involving Sampo IP LLC and Marathon Patent Group, Inc.
• 2017-01-11 (executed) / recorded 2017-01-13 — Reel 036322/0257
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: 3D NANOCOLOR CORP.; BISMARCK IP INC.; MAGNUS IP GMBH; MARATHON IP GMBH; MARATHON VENTURES S.À.R.L; MEDTECH DEVELOPMENT DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; MOTHEYE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC; MUNITECH IP S.À.R.L.; NYANZA PROPERTIES; ORTHOPHOENIX, LLC; SYNCHRONICITY IP GMBH; SYNCHRONICITY IP LLC; TLI COMMUNICATIONS GMBH; TRAVERSE TECHNOLOGIES CORP.; VERMILION PARTICIPATIONS; DBD CREDIT FUNDING, LLC
  • Assignee: DBD CREDIT FUNDING LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: Jessica J. Macomber, ROPES & GRAY LLP
  • Context: Further securitization involving multiple entities and DBD Credit Funding LLC as collateral agent.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 6772229
    2001 : Inventors to GroupServe Inc
    2005 : Assigned to GroupServe IP Trust LLC
    2013 : Assigned to LVL Patent Group LLC
         : Assigned to Sampo IP LLC
    2015 : Security Interest to DBD Credit Funding LLC
    2017 : Security Interest to DBD Credit Funding LLC, Collateral Agent

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.

   • GroupServe Inc. to GROUPSERVE IP TRUST LLC (Reel 016335/0824, 2005-06-20). "IP Trust" in the name suggests a licensing-focused entity.
   • GROUPSERVE IP TRUST, LLC to LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC (Reel 029705/0111, 2013-02-22). "Patent Group" in the name suggests a licensing-focused entity.
   • LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC to SAMPO IP LLC (Reel 029729/0816, 2013-03-01). "IP LLC" in the name suggests a licensing-focused entity.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present.

   • Marathon Patent Group, Inc. is listed as an assignor in the 2015 security interest (Reel 033069/0638, 2015-02-02) and again as an assignor in the 2017 security interest (Reel 036322/0257, 2017-01-11). Marathon Patent Group is a known NPE.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.

   • Ronald S. Laurie, RAJ DESAI & LAURIE LLP, appears as correspondent for the assignment from GROUPSERVE IP TRUST, LLC to LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC (Reel 029705/0111, 2013-02-22) and again for the assignment from LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC to SAMPO IP LLC (Reel 029729/0816, 2013-03-01).

4. Cascading transfers — present.

   • The transfer from GROUPSERVE IP TRUST, LLC to LVL PATENT GROUP, LLC (Reel 029705/0111, 2013-02-22) and then to SAMPO IP LLC (Reel 029729/0816, 2013-03-01) occurred within a short period (less than one month), with the same correspondent, Ronald S. Laurie, facilitating both.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While the patent family has litigation, the specific timing of assignments relative to the first infringement suit naming this patent (US6772229) is not immediately clear from the provided data.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy for GroupServe Inc. or any subsequent assignor.

7. Privateering — unclear. No information in the provided records to suggest this pattern.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The presence of multiple strong signals, including transfers to shell-like entities (GroupServe IP Trust LLC, LVL Patent Group, LLC, Sampo IP LLC), the involvement of a known NPE (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.) in the security interests, and the rapid, successive transfers handled by the same correspondent (Ronald S. Laurie) in 2013 (Reel 029705/0111 on 2013-02-22 and Reel 029729/0816 on 2013-03-01), strongly indicate an NPE assertion pattern.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center search page for US Patent 6,772,229: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/