Assignment history

Inventors

• Myeong Joon Kang (SanDisk Technologies LLC at the time of filing)

Original assignee

The original assignee was SanDisk Technologies LLC. SanDisk was a prominent manufacturer of flash memory products, including a wide range of memory cards (SD, microSD, CompactFlash, etc.), USB flash drives, and solid-state drives. They shipped numerous products embodying memory card technologies. SanDisk Technologies LLC is currently an operating subsidiary of Western Digital Corporation, having been acquired in 2016.

Assignment timeline

• 2007-11-16 (executed) / recorded 2007-11-20 — Reel 020176/0369

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: KANG, MYEONG JOON
  • Assignee: SANDISK CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: BEYER WEAVER & THOMAS, LLP, P. O. BOX 70250, OAKLAND, CA 94612-0250
  • Context: Transfer from inventor to original assignee.

• 2011-04-04 (executed) / recorded 2011-05-13 — Reel 026276/0538

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SANDISK CORPORATION
  • Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
  • Correspondent: SANDISK CORPORATION, 601 MCCARTHY BOULEVARD, MILPITAS, CA 95035
  • Context: Internal reorganization / transfer between related corporate entities.

• 2016-05-16 (executed) / recorded 2016-05-25 — Reel 038809/0600

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC
  • Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Correspondent: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC, 601 MCCARTHY BLVD., MILPITAS, CA 95035
  • Context: Change of name for an existing assignee.

• 2024-08-12 (executed) / recorded 2024-08-15 — Reel 068301/0100

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Assignee: PALISADE TECHNOLOGIES, LLP
  • Correspondent: THE SMALL PATENT LAW GROUP LLP, 225 S. MERAMEC AVE., SUITE 725, ST. LOUIS, MO 63105. This correspondent has appeared on other patent assignment records for NPEs.
  • Context: Transfer to an asserting entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8327051
    2007 : Filed by SanDisk Technologies LLC
    2011 : Assigned to SanDisk Technologies Inc
    2012 : Issued
    2016 : Name changed to SanDisk Technologies LLC
    2024 : Assigned to Palisade Technologies LLP
         : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer from SanDisk Technologies LLC to Palisade Technologies, LLP on 2024-08-12 (recorded 2024-08-15, Reel 068301/0100) indicates a shell entity. Palisade Technologies, LLP's business is understood to be patent assertion, and no products in commerce under this name are known.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Palisade Technologies, LLP is a known patent asserter (NPE). They are listed by Unified Patents as a high-frequency plaintiff.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. The correspondent "THE SMALL PATENT LAW GROUP LLP" (Reel 068301/0100) is a firm frequently associated with patent assertion entities. While they may represent operating companies as well, their appearance here in connection with a known NPE is a signal.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. There are no multiple consecutive assignments through chained LLCs within a short period.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The assignment to Palisade Technologies, LLP was executed on 2024-08-12 and recorded on 2024-08-15 (Reel 068301/0100). The first infringement suit against Micron Technology, Inc. was filed by Palisade Technologies, LLP on October 16, 2024, which is approximately two months after the assignment. This falls within the 6-month window indicating a pre-litigation transfer.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. SanDisk Technologies LLC (and its parent Western Digital) are active operating companies and there is no indication of a bankruptcy fire-sale.
7. Privateering — unclear. While the patent was transferred from an operating company (SanDisk/Western Digital) to an NPE, there's no explicit public information to confirm whether SanDisk/Western Digital is benefitting from the assertion against their competitors, which would classify it as privateering.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Palisade Technologies, LLP, which is an asserting entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of multiple strong signals, including the transfer to a known patent asserter (Palisade Technologies, LLP on Reel 068301/0100), the pre-litigation timing of this transfer (approximately two months before the first suit), and the use of a correspondent firm known for NPE representation (THE SMALL PATENT LAW GROUP LLP, Reel 068301/0100), strongly indicates an NPE pattern.

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