Assignment history

Inventors

Victor Larson, Robert Durham Short, III, Edmund Colby Munger, and Michael Williamson. At the time of filing (November 7, 2003), the inventors assigned their rights to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), indicating they were likely employees of SAIC. [cite: 014605/0126]

Original assignee

Based on the earliest recorded assignment, the original assignee of the inventors' rights was Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). [cite: 014605/0126] SAIC is a major operating company providing government services and information technology. Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAIC) is currently an operating company.

Assignment timeline

• 2003-11-07 (executed) / recorded 2004-12-16 — Reel 014605/0126

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LARSON, VICTOR; MUNGER, EDMUND COLBY; WILLIAMSON, MICHAEL; SHORT III, ROBERT DUNHAM
  • Assignee: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: LYNNE S. WING, 214 E. ELM STREET, BENTON, KENTUCKY 42025
  • Context: Inventors assigned their rights to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) at the time of filing the patent application.

• 2007-01-10 (executed) / recorded 2007-01-26 — Reel 019230/0394

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VIRNETX INC.
  • Correspondent: BEYER WEAVER & THOMAS, LLP, P.O. BOX 70250, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612-0250
  • Context: Science Applications International Corporation transferred ownership of the patent to VirnetX Inc. shortly before the patent was granted.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7188180
    2003 : Inventors assign to Science Applications Intl Corp
    2007 : Science Applications Intl Corp assigns to VirnetX Inc
         : Patent issued to VirnetX Inc
    2020 : Patent expired

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer
   • Present. The transfer from Science Applications International Corporation, an operating company, to VirnetX Inc. on 2007-01-10 (Reel 019230/0394) is a strong indicator of a shell-entity transfer. VirnetX Inc. is widely recognized as a patent licensing and assertion company (NPE) that does not typically produce products embodying the claims.
2. Known asserter in the chain
   • Present. VirnetX Inc. is a well-known Non-Practicing Entity (NPE) and a high-frequency patent plaintiff. This is evidenced by numerous litigation cases associated with this patent family as listed on Google Patents and confirmed by NPE tracking organizations. [cite: 019230/0394]
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain
   • Not present. Different correspondents handled the two recorded assignments for this patent: LYNNE S. WING for the inventor assignment [cite: 014605/0126] and BEYER WEAVER & THOMAS, LLP for the assignment to VirnetX Inc. [cite: 019230/0394].
4. Cascading transfers
   • Not present. There are only two recorded assignments for this patent, not multiple consecutive transfers within a short period.
5. Pre-litigation transfer
   • Unclear. The patent was assigned to VirnetX Inc. on 2007-01-10 [cite: 019230/0394] and issued on 2007-03-06. Google Patents indicates that the first US case for this patent family (6:07-cv-00080) was filed in Texas Eastern District Court in 2007. While the exact filing date of the first lawsuit is not provided, the assignment date is very close to the patent issuance and the commencement of litigation, making it highly suspicious for a pre-litigation transfer, though not definitively within the 6-month window without the precise court filing date.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale
   • Not present. Science Applications International Corporation, the assignor to VirnetX, is an active operating company and was not in bankruptcy at the time of the assignment.
7. Privateering
   • Unclear. While the patent moved from an operating company (SAIC) to a known NPE (VirnetX Inc.), and VirnetX frequently asserts patents, there is no explicit evidence provided in the record (e.g., SEC filings) of an agreement where SAIC would benefit from VirnetX asserting this patent against SAIC's competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE)
   • Not present. The current assignee, VirnetX Inc., is a patent asserter, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
This verdict is based on the patent being transferred from Science Applications International Corporation, an operating company, to VirnetX Inc. on 2007-01-10 (Reel 019230/0394), a well-known Non-Practicing Entity (NPE) with a documented history of patent assertion. The existence of multiple litigation cases associated with this patent family further supports this conclusion.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US7188180: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ [cite: 014605/0126, 019230/0394]