Patent 7292261

Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

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Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

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Inventors

  • Patrick Teo: Individual inventor at the time of filing, later assigned to MGI SOFTWARE CORPORATION.

Original assignee

The original assignee, MGI SOFTWARE CORPORATION, was assigned the patent on 1999-08-20. MGI Software was a software company known for its photo and video editing software. It was acquired by Roxio, Inc. in 2002. It is currently dissolved.

Assignment timeline

  • 1999-08-20 (executed) / recorded 1999-08-20 — Reel 010537/0854
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: Teo, Patrick
    • Assignee: MGI SOFTWARE CORPORATION
    • Correspondent: BLAINE S. TAKAHASHI, BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P.
    • Context: Individual inventor assigned patent to corporate entity.
  • 2000-08-01 (executed) / recorded 2000-11-20 — Reel 011317/0948
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: LIVE PICTURE, INC. A CORP. OF CA.
    • Assignee: MGI SOFTWARE CORPORATION A CORP. OF ONTARIO
    • Correspondent: L. S. VAN LANDINGHAM, III, BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, LLP. This correspondent's firm also appeared on a previous assignment.
    • Context: Corporate assignment, likely related to an acquisition or internal restructuring involving Live Picture, Inc.
  • 2002-11-25 (executed) / recorded 2002-12-16 — Reel 013444/0488
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: MGI SOFTWARE CORPORATION
    • Assignee: ROXIO, INC.
    • Correspondent: JOHN S. HOFFMAN, BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP. This correspondent's firm also appeared on previous assignments.
    • Context: Acquisition of MGI Software Corporation by Roxio, Inc.
  • 2003-02-12 (executed) / recorded 2003-03-05 — Reel 013809/0199
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: MGI SOFTWARE CORPORATION
    • Assignee: ROXIO, INC.
    • Correspondent: PETER G. STONE, BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP. This correspondent's firm also appeared on previous assignments.
    • Context: Further assignment likely related to the acquisition of MGI Software Corporation by Roxio, Inc.
  • 2004-12-23 (executed) / recorded 2005-01-20 — Reel 016029/0358
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: ROXIO, INC.
    • Assignee: SONIC SOLUTIONS
    • Correspondent: LAWRENCE J. SPERANZA, SONIC SOLUTIONS.
    • Context: Acquisition of Roxio, Inc. by Sonic Solutions.
  • 2005-12-27 (executed) / recorded 2006-02-09 — Reel 017260/0038
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: SONIC SOLUTIONS
    • Assignee: KWOK, CHU & SHINDLER LLC
    • Correspondent: CHARLES H. BOHLIN, HELLER EHRMAN LLP.
    • Context: Transfer of patent assets from an operating company to an LLC.
  • 2011-07-22 (executed) / recorded 22011-08-16 — Reel 026778/0744
    • Conveyance: Merger
    • Assignor: KWOK, CHU & SHINDLER LLC
    • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC
    • Correspondent: LISA A. STEINER, INTELLECTUAL VENTURES. This correspondent's firm handles many recordings for known NPEs.
    • Context: Merger where Intellectual Ventures I LLC became the assignee.
  • 2019-01-23 (executed) / recorded 2019-03-27 — Reel 047718/0650
    • Conveyance: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT
    • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC
    • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 99 LLC
    • Correspondent: ALISHA CAMPBELL, PATENT ASSIGNMENT DEPARTMENT.
    • Context: Internal transfer between Intellectual Ventures entities.
  • 2019-03-11 (executed) / recorded 2019-03-27 — Reel 047718/0652
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 99 LLC
    • Assignee: STEEPHILL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    • Correspondent: ALISHA CAMPBELL, PATENT ASSIGNMENT DEPARTMENT. This correspondent also appeared on a previous assignment in this chain.
    • Context: Transfer from an Intellectual Ventures entity to another LLC.
  • 2019-05-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-05-17 — Reel 048259/0173
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: STEEPHILL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    • Assignee: CEDAR LANE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    • Correspondent: KEVIN M. GRUNSFELD, MORAN LAW.
    • Context: Transfer between LLCs.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7292261
    1999 : Assigned to MGI Software
    2000 : Assigned to MGI Software
    2002 : Assigned to Roxio Inc
    2003 : Assigned to Roxio Inc
    2004 : Assigned to Sonic Solutions
    2005 : Assigned to Kwok Chu & Shindler LLC
    2011 : Acquired by Intellectual Ventures I LLC
    2019 : Assigned to IV Assets 99 LLC
         : Assigned to Steephill Technologies LLC
         : Assigned to Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.

NPE / troll-pattern signals

  1. Shell-entity transfer — present.

    • 2005-12-27 (executed) / recorded 2006-02-09 (Reel 017260/0038): Sonic Solutions (operating company) assigned to KWOK, CHU & SHINDLER LLC. The name "Kwok, Chu & Shindler LLC" does not suggest a product-shipping entity, and LLCs are often used as shell entities.
    • 2019-03-11 (executed) / recorded 2019-03-27 (Reel 047718/0652): Intellectual Ventures Assets 99 LLC assigned to STEEPHILL TECHNOLOGIES LLC. This is a transfer between entities with names suggestive of holding or licensing.
    • 2019-05-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-05-17 (Reel 048259/0173): Steephill Technologies LLC assigned to CEDAR LANE TECHNOLOGIES INC. Similar to the above, this is a transfer between entities with names suggestive of holding or licensing.

  2. Known asserter in the chain — present.

    • 2011-07-22 (executed) / recorded 2011-08-16 (Reel 026778/0744): KWOK, CHU & SHINDLER LLC merged into INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC. Intellectual Ventures is a well-known NPE.
    • 2019-01-23 (executed) / recorded 2019-03-27 (Reel 047718/0650): INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC assigned to INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 99 LLC, another entity within the Intellectual Ventures family.

  3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.

    • BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P./LLP: Appears as correspondent for:
      • 1999-08-20 (Reel 010537/0854) with BLAINE S. TAKAHASHI.
      • 2000-08-01 (Reel 011317/0948) with L. S. VAN LANDINGHAM, III.
      • 2002-11-25 (Reel 013444/0488) with JOHN S. HOFFMAN.
      • 2003-02-12 (Reel 013809/0199) with PETER G. STONE.
    • LISA A. STEINER, INTELLECTUAL VENTURES: Appears as correspondent for 2011-07-22 (Reel 026778/0744) when Intellectual Ventures I LLC became the assignee. Intellectual Ventures is a known NPE, and a correspondent from within such an organization indicates a pattern.
    • ALISHA CAMPBELL, PATENT ASSIGNMENT DEPARTMENT: Appears for 2019-01-23 (Reel 047718/0650) and 2019-03-11 (Reel 047718/0652). The generic "Patent Assignment Department" coupled with transfers between suspected NPEs raises a flag.

  4. Cascading transfers — present.

    • 2019-01-23 (executed) / recorded 2019-03-27 (Reel 047718/0650): IV I LLC to IV Assets 99 LLC.
    • 2019-03-11 (executed) / recorded 2019-03-27 (Reel 047718/0652): IV Assets 99 LLC to Steephill Technologies LLC.
    • 2019-05-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-05-17 (Reel 048259/0173): Steephill Technologies LLC to Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
      These three assignments occurred within approximately 4 months in 2019, through different LLCs, suggesting a rapid chain of transfers.

  5. Pre-litigation transfer — present.

    • The patent was assigned to CEDAR LANE TECHNOLOGIES INC. on 2019-05-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-05-17 (Reel 048259/0173).
    • Litigation records show multiple cases filed in late 2019 and 2020 by Cedar Lane Technologies Inc. against various defendants. For example, a case was filed in the Florida Southern District Court on 2019-12-16. This transfer date falls within 6 months of the initial recorded litigation, indicating a pre-litigation transfer to establish assertion.

  6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. The original assignees were acquired by other operating companies, not liquidated in bankruptcy.

  7. Privateering — unclear. While Intellectual Ventures is known to engage in privateering, the specific nature of the transfer from Sonic Solutions to Kwok, Chu & Shindler LLC, and then to IV, doesn't explicitly state an agreement to assert on behalf of Sonic Solutions in the assignment records.

  8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Cedar Lane Technologies Inc., which is an asserting entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
This verdict is based on multiple strong signals: the presence of known NPE Intellectual Ventures I LLC in the chain (Reel 026778/0744), the cascading transfers of the patent through multiple LLCs in a short timeframe in 2019 (Reels 047718/0650, 047718/0652, 048259/0173), and the clear pre-litigation transfer to Cedar Lane Technologies Inc. immediately preceding numerous infringement suits.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US7292261: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

Generated 5/29/2026, 8:39:25 PM