Assignment history

Inventors

• Richard MacKinnon (Rocksteady Technologies LLC)
• Kelly Looney (Rocksteady Technologies LLC)
• Eric White (Rocksteady Technologies LLC)

Original assignee

The original assignee, Rocksteady Technologies LLC, was listed as the applicant on the filing date of October 10, 2003. It appears that Rocksteady Networks, Inc. was also involved in reassignments during the prosecution history, ultimately assigning its interest to Rocksteady Technologies, LLC in 2011. While the patent mentions "Rock Box or the Rocksteady NSA Server, from Rocksteady Networks, Inc. of Austin, Tex." as an example of an exemplary control device, it's unclear if Rocksteady Technologies LLC (the original assignee) directly shipped a product embodying the claims. According to its status on Google Patents, Rocksteady Technologies LLC's status is "Active - Reinstated," although this refers to the patent's legal status, not necessarily the operating status of the company itself.

Assignment timeline

• 2005-07-21 (executed) / recorded 2005-08-01 — Reel 016335/0795

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ROCKSTEADY NETWORKS, INC.
  • Assignee: WHITE, ERIC
  • Correspondent: LAW OFFICE OF RUSSELL N. CRAVER, P.O. BOX 631470, IRVING, TEXAS 75063
  • Context: Internal transfer from Rocksteady Networks, Inc. to an individual inventor.

• 2011-01-18 (executed) / recorded 2011-02-15 — Reel 025805/0126

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LOONEY, KELLY
  • Assignee: ROCKSTEADY NETWORKS, INC.
  • Correspondent: LAW OFFICE OF RUSSELL N. CRAVER, P.O. BOX 631470, IRVING, TEXAS 75063. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Internal transfer from an individual inventor back to Rocksteady Networks, Inc.

• 2011-01-27 (executed) / recorded 2011-02-15 — Reel 025805/0129

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: WHITE, ERIC
  • Assignee: ROCKSTEADY TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: LAW OFFICE OF RUSSELL N. CRAVER, P.O. BOX 631470, IRVING, TEXAS 75063. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Internal transfer from an individual inventor to Rocksteady Technologies, LLC.

• 2012-01-09 (executed) / recorded 2012-01-31 — Reel 027606/0675

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: MACKINNON, RICHARD C.
  • Assignee: ROCKSTEADY NETWORKS, INC.
  • Correspondent: LAW OFFICE OF RUSSELL N. CRAVER, P.O. BOX 631470, IRVING, TEXAS 75063. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Internal transfer from an individual inventor to Rocksteady Networks, Inc.

• 2012-06-28 (executed) / recorded 2012-07-16 — Reel 028565/0438

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: WHITE, ERIC
  • Assignee: ROCKSTEADY TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: LAW OFFICE OF RUSSELL N. CRAVER, P.O. BOX 631470, IRVING, TEXAS 75063. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Internal transfer from an individual inventor to Rocksteady Technologies, LLC.

• 2012-07-16 (executed) / recorded 2012-08-07 — Reel 028688/0678

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LOONEY, KELLY
  • Assignee: WHITE, ERIC
  • Correspondent: ERIC WHITE, 5900 BALCONES DR., SUITE 100, AUSTIN, TX 78731
  • Context: Internal transfer from an individual inventor to another individual inventor.

• 2012-08-13 (executed) / recorded 2012-08-20 — Reel 028741/0219

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ROCKSTEADY TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Assignee: RPX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: RPX CORPORATION, ATTN: PATENT ADMINISTRATION, 201 MISSION STREET, 16TH FLOOR, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94105
  • Context: Defensive aggregation by RPX Corporation.

• 2018-06-29 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-03 — Reel 042111/0420

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
  • Correspondent: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, 520 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022
  • Context: Securitization of the patent.

• 2020-10-23 (executed) / recorded 2020-11-09 — Reel 048037/0867

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC, RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: BARINGS FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: KING & SPALDING LLP, BARINGS LLC, 1180 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E., ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30309
  • Context: Further securitization of the patent.

• 2020-10-23 (executed) / recorded 2020-11-09 — Reel 048037/0871

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC, RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: BARINGS FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: KING & SPALDING LLP, BARINGS LLC, 1180 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E., ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30309
  • Context: Further securitization of the patent (duplicate recording or related transaction).

• 2020-10-26 (executed) / recorded 2020-11-09 — Reel 048037/0877

  • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest
  • Assignor: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
  • Assignee: RPX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: KING & SPALDING LLP, BARINGS LLC, 1180 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E., ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30309
  • Context: Release of previous security interest.

• 2024-05-31 (executed) / recorded 2024-06-05 — Reel 056461/0814

  • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest
  • Assignor: BARINGS FINANCE LLC
  • Assignee: RPX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: RPX Corporation, Attn: Patent Administration, 201 Mission Street, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
  • Context: Release of security interest.

• 2024-07-05 (executed) / recorded 2024-07-16 — Reel 056586/0208

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: NETSKOPE, INC.
  • Correspondent: KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON LLP, 1100 PEACHTREE STREET, SUITE 2800, ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30309
  • Context: Transfer from defensive aggregator RPX to operating company Netskope, Inc.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8117639
    2003 : Filed by Rocksteady Technologies LLC
    2005 : Assigned to Eric White
    2011 : Assigned to Rocksteady Networks Inc
         : Assigned to Rocksteady Technologies LLC
    2012 : Issued
         : Assigned to Rocksteady Networks Inc
         : Assigned to Rocksteady Technologies LLC
         : Assigned to Eric White
         : Assigned to RPX CORPORATION
    2018 : Security Agreement Jefferies Finance LLC
    2020 : Security Agreement Barings Finance LLC
         : Release Security Interest Jefferies Finance LLC
    2024 : Release Security Interest Barings Finance LLC
         : Assigned to Netskope Inc

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The initial transfers were between the original assignee and its inventors. The transfer to RPX Corporation is to a defensive aggregator, not a licensing-only shell. The final transfer to Netskope, Inc. is to an operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. While RPX Corporation is in the chain, it is a known defensive aggregator, not an asserter.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. "LAW OFFICE OF RUSSELL N. CRAVER" appears as the correspondent on multiple assignments from 2005 to 2012 (Reel 016335/0795, 025805/0126, 025805/0129, 027606/0675, 028565/0438).
4. Cascading transfers — unclear. There are several transfers involving inventors and Rocksteady entities between 2005 and 2012, sometimes with short intervals. For example, in 2011-2012, there were multiple assignments in quick succession (Reel 025805/0126, 025805/0129, 027606/0675, 028565/0438, 028688/0678). However, these appear to be internal reorganizations or transfers among the original inventors and associated entities, rather than transfers between unrelated shell LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The publicly available litigation records for this patent, as of the current date, do not provide sufficient historical details to confirm this signal.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication in the assignment records or legal status that the patent was part of a bankruptcy sale.
7. Privateering — not present. There is no evidence in the assignment records or related information to suggest a privateering arrangement.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — present. RPX CORPORATION became an assignee on 2012-08-13 (Reel 028741/0219). This indicates defensive aggregation. The patent was subsequently assigned to Netskope, Inc., an operating company.

Verdict

Defensive / non-asserting. The patent was acquired by RPX Corporation on 2012-08-13 (Reel 028741/0219), a known defensive aggregator. Although it was subsequently assigned to Netskope, Inc. in 2024 (Reel 056586/0208), the presence of RPX in the chain strongly suggests a period of defensive aggregation.

USPTO Assignment Center Search for US8117639