Assignment history

Inventors

• Timothy J. Bloch: Unspecified employer at time of filing.
• Thomas L. Dietsche: Founder and architect of Jargon Reader software and ForceField application at Jargon Software.
• Richard D. Rubenstein: President and Founder of Jargon Software.

The inventors, Thomas L. Dietsche and Richard D. Rubenstein, were both founders of Jargon Software, the original assignee, indicating they were employed by the company at the time of filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent was Jargon Software. Jargon Software's primary line of business was developing mobile field sales and replenishment order entry applications, such as ForceField 4, which could operate online or offline and access back-office data. They also developed an authoring framework for interactive media. Jargon Software was acquired by Giant Interactive in April 2016.

Assignment timeline

• 2002-05-22 (executed) / recorded 2002-05-22 — Reel 012931/0313

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Bloch, Timothy J., Rubenstein, Richard D., Dietsche, Thomas L. (inventors)
  • Assignee: JARGON SOFTWARE
  • Correspondent: SHAW, SCOTT, SHAW, SCOTT (no firm listed), ST. PAUL, MN. This is the first appearance of this correspondent.
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to original assignee.

• 2008-05-22 (executed) / recorded 2008-05-22 — Reel 020610/0178

  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: BLOCH, TIMOTHY J., RUBENSTEIN, RICHARD D., DIETSCHE, THOMAS L.
  • Assignee: JARGON SOFTWARE, INC.
  • Correspondent: Shaw, Scott, Shaw, Scott, St. Paul, MN. This correspondent previously appeared on reel 012931/0313.
  • Context: Corrective assignment to update the name of the receiving party from JARGON SOFTWARE to JARGON SOFTWARE, INC.

• 2008-05-29 (executed) / recorded 2008-05-29 — Reel 020624/0746

  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: BLOCH, TIMOTHY J., RUBENSTEIN, RICHARD D., DIETSCHE, THOMAS L.
  • Assignee: JARGON SOFTWARE, INC.
  • Correspondent: Shaw, Scott, Shaw, Scott, St. Paul, MN. This correspondent previously appeared on reel 012931/0313 and 020610/0178.
  • Context: Further corrective assignment to update the name of the receiving party from JARGON SOFTWARE to JARGON SOFTWARE, INC.

• 2008-06-04 (executed) / recorded 2008-06-04 — Reel 020668/0508

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: JARGON SOFTWARE, INC.
  • Assignee: VENTRILE DATA LTD., LLC
  • Correspondent: David R. Heitzman, PATTERSON, THUENTE, SKAAR & CHRISTENSEN, P.A., 4800 IDS CENTER 80 SOUTH 8TH STREET, MINNEAPOLIS, MN. This is the first appearance of this correspondent.
  • Context: Transfer from operating company to an LLC, potentially for monetization.

• 2015-12-09 (executed) / recorded 2015-12-09 — Reel 036737/0348

  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: VENTRILE DATA LTD., LLC
  • Assignee: RATEZE REMOTE MGMT. L.L.C.
  • Correspondent: James R. Bell, CARR & FERRELL LLP, 120 CONSTITUTION DRIVE, MENLO PARK, CA. This is the first appearance of this correspondent.
  • Context: Transfer via merger, likely an internal restructuring or portfolio consolidation.

• 2019-11-05 (executed) / recorded 2019-11-05 — Reel 049386/0993

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: RATEZE REMOTE MGMT. L.L.C.
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC
  • Correspondent: STEPHANIE L. KOSITSKY, INTELLECTUAL VENTURES, 3450 188TH AVE. NE, BELLEVUE, WA. This is the first appearance of this correspondent.
  • Context: Transfer to a known patent assertion entity.

• 2020-01-03 (executed) / recorded 2020-01-03 — Reel 049688/0651

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC
  • Assignee: DATACLOUD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: Melissa Kosciusko, Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, 3450 188th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA. This correspondent previously appeared on reel 049386/0993.
  • Context: Transfer between related Intellectual Ventures entities, specifically to a known asserter.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7246351
    2002 : Assigned to Jargon Software
    2008 : Assigned to Ventrile Data Ltd LLC
    2015 : Merged to Rateze Remote Mgmt LLC
    2019 : Assigned to Intellectual Ventures
    2020 : Assigned to Datacloud Tech LLC
    2021 : First suit filed by Datacloud
    2024 : Patent expired
    2026 : Ongoing litigation

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present

   • Reel 020668/0508 (2008-06-04): Jargon Software, Inc. assigned to VENTRILE DATA LTD., LLC. The assignee name "Ventrile Data Ltd., LLC" is suggestive of a shell entity, often used for patent holding. Ventrile Data, LLC is a telephone data collection company and it is unlikely that Ventrile Data Ltd., LLC is directly related given the nature of the patent.
   • Reel 036737/0348 (2015-12-09): VENTRILE DATA LTD., LLC merged into RATEZE REMOTE MGMT. L.L.C. "Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C." also has a naming convention common for shell entities.
   • Reel 049386/0993 (2019-11-05): RATEZE REMOTE MGMT. L.L.C. assigned to INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC. The name "Intellectual Ventures Assets 151 LLC" is a clear indicator of a shell entity used by a known patent monetization firm.
   • Reel 049688/0651 (2020-01-03): INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC assigned to DATACLOUD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC. "Datacloud Technologies, LLC" similarly suggests a shell entity, particularly given its extensive litigation activity without a clear product embodying the claims.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present

   • Reel 049386/0993 (2019-11-05): Assignee is INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC. Intellectual Ventures is a well-known patent assertion entity (NPE) and one of the top owners of U.S. patents, with a business model focused on buying and licensing patents or seeking legal damages.
   • Reel 049688/0651 (2020-01-03): Assignee is DATACLOUD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC. Datacloud Technologies, LLC has been identified as a patent assertion entity in recent litigation.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present

   • Scott Shaw: Appeared as correspondent for JARGON SOFTWARE on Reel 012931/0313 (2002-05-22), and for JARGON SOFTWARE, INC. on Reel 020610/0178 (2008-05-22) and Reel 020624/0746 (2008-05-29).
   • Stephanie L. Kositsky / Melissa Kosciusko: Stephanie L. Kositsky of Intellectual Ventures was the correspondent for INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC on Reel 049386/0993 (2019-11-05). Melissa Kosciusko of Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, was the correspondent for DATACLOUD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC on Reel 049688/0651 (2020-01-03). Melissa Kosciusko is listed as General Counsel and Vice President, Corporate Affairs for Intellectual Ventures. The recurrence of Intellectual Ventures-affiliated correspondents for two different entities suggests a coordinated strategy.

4. Cascading transfers — present

   • The assignments from RATEZE REMOTE MGMT. L.L.C. to INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 151 LLC (Reel 049386/0993, 2019-11-05) and then to DATACLOUD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC (Reel 049688/0651, 2020-01-03) occurred within approximately two months. Both assignees share the same correspondent address and an Intellectual Ventures-affiliated correspondent. This constitutes cascading transfers through related entities.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — present

   • The transfer to Datacloud Technologies, LLC (Reel 049688/0651, 2020-01-03) occurred approximately 1 year and 1 month before the first recorded litigation involving this patent by Datacloud Technologies LLC (Microsoft Corporation case filed February 4, 2021). This transfer positions the patent with the asserting entity shortly before litigation commenced.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present

   • There is no indication of Jargon Software, Inc. or any subsequent assignor entering bankruptcy proceedings in the assignment records or publicly available information.

7. Privateering — unclear

   • While Intellectual Ventures has been associated with privateering in general, there is no specific evidence in the provided patent or assignment data to confirm privateering for this particular patent.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present

   • The chain ends with Datacloud Technologies, LLC, which is an asserting entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The assignment chain exhibits multiple strong signals indicative of patent assertion entity (NPE) behavior. These include transfers to known NPEs (Intellectual Ventures Assets 151 LLC and Datacloud Technologies, LLC per Reel 049386/0993 on 2019-11-05 and Reel 049688/0651 on 2020-01-03), cascading transfers between these entities, and the use of repeat correspondents associated with Intellectual Ventures. The timing of the final transfer to Datacloud Technologies, LLC shortly before the first recorded litigation further strengthens this conclusion.

For verification, see the USPTO Patent Assignment Search for US7246351: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/