Assignment history

Inventors

• Stephen Hugh Kinser: Likely employed by Novell, Inc. or an affiliated entity at the time of filing, as he assigned his interest to Novell, Inc. on the filing date.
• Lloyd Leon Burch: Likely employed by Novell, Inc. or an affiliated entity at the time of filing, as he assigned his interest to Novell, Inc. on the filing date.
• Cameron Craig Morris: Likely employed by Novell, Inc. or an affiliated entity at the time of filing, as he assigned his interest to Novell, Inc. on the filing date.

(Based on the initial assignment dated 2006-06-01 to NOVELL,INC. (Reel 017947/0322), it is highly probable the inventors were employees of Novell, Inc. or an affiliated entity at the time of filing.)

Original assignee

The entity named on the issued patent is Novell Intellectual Property Holdings Inc.. Novell, Inc. was a prominent software company known for network operating systems (e.g., Novell NetWare), email, identity services, and directory services products. The patent describes how its techniques can be implemented in "Novell® network and proxy server products, email products, identity service products, operating system products, and/or directory services products distributed by Novell®, Inc., of Provo, Utah," indicating they shipped products embodying the claims. Novell, Inc. was acquired by Attachmate in 2011, which was subsequently acquired by Micro Focus International in 2014. The Novell intellectual property assets were part of these larger corporate transactions.

Assignment timeline

• 2006-06-01 (signed from 2006-05-30 to 2006-06-01) / recorded 2006-06-01 — Reel 017947/0322

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: BURCH, LLOYD LEON; MORRIS, CAMERON CRAIG; KINSER, STEPHEN HUGH (Inventors)
  • Assignee: NOVELL,INC., UTAH
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Initial assignment of patent rights from inventors to the operating company/affiliated entity.

• 2011-11-30 (effective 2011-04-27) / recorded 2011-11-30 — Reel 027465/0227

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: NOVELL,INC.
  • Assignee: CPTN HOLDINGS LLC, WASHINGTON
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Transfer of patent rights from Novell, Inc. as part of a larger corporate acquisition or IP transaction.

• 2011-11-30 (effective 2011-09-09) / recorded 2011-11-30 — Reel 027465/0206

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CPTN HOLDINGS LLC
  • Assignee: NOVELL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HOLDINGS, INC., WASHI
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Transfer of patent rights from CPTN Holdings LLC back to a Novell intellectual property holding entity.

• 2011-12-01 (effective 2011-09-09) / recorded 2011-12-01 — Reel 027325/0131

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CPTN HOLDINGS LLC
  • Assignee: NOVELL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HOLDING, INC., WASHIN
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Another assignment from CPTN Holdings LLC to a Novell intellectual property holding entity, likely related to the same broader corporate transaction.

• 2016-02-11 (effective 2016-02-08) / recorded 2016-02-11 — Reel 037809/0057

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: NOVELL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HOLDINGS, INC.
  • Assignee: RPX CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Transfer to a defensive patent aggregator.

• 2016-03-09 (effective 2016-02-26) / recorded 2016-03-09 — Reel 038041/0001

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: RPX CORPORATION; RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC
  • Assignee: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT, ILLINOIS
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Securitization of assets by RPX.

• 2018-01-02 (effective 2017-12-22) / recorded 2018-01-02 — Reel 044970/0030

  • Conveyance: Release
  • Assignor: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
  • Assignee: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC, RPX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Release of security interest from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

• 2018-06-29 (effective 2018-06-19) / recorded 2018-06-29 — Reel 046486/0433

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, NEW YORK
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Another securitization of assets by RPX.

• 2020-10-23 (effective 2020-10-23) / recorded 2020-10-23 — Reel 054198/0029

  • Conveyance: Patent Security Agreement
  • Assignor: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC; RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: BARINGS FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT, NORTH CAROLINA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Further securitization of assets by RPX.

• 2020-10-23 (effective 2020-08-23) / recorded 2020-10-23 — Reel 054244/0566

  • Conveyance: Patent Security Agreement
  • Assignor: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC; RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: BARINGS FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT, NORTH CAROLINA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Another Patent Security Agreement to Barings Finance LLC, likely related to the same financing arrangement.

• 2020-10-26 (effective 2020-10-23) / recorded 2020-10-26 — Reel 054486/0422

  • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest
  • Assignor: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
  • Assignee: RPX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Release of security interest from Jefferies Finance LLC.

• 2024-05-31 (effective 2024-05-31) / recorded 2024-05-31 — Reel 067596/0606

  • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest in Specified Patents
  • Assignor: BARINGS FINANCE LLC
  • Assignee: RPX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Release of security interest from Barings Finance LLC.

• 2024-07-05 (effective 2024-06-30) / recorded 2024-07-05 — Reel 067918/0690

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: RPX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: NETSKOPE, INC., CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided data.
  • Context: Transfer from a defensive patent aggregator to an operating company.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8327426
    2006 : Inventors assign to Novell Inc
    2011 : Assigned to CPTN Holdings LLC
         : Assigned to Novell IP Holdings Inc
    2012 : Patent issued
    2016 : Assigned to RPX Corporation
         : RPX securitized by JPMorgan
    2018 : JPMorgan release to RPX
         : RPX securitized by Jefferies
    2020 : RPX securitized by Barings
         : Jefferies release to RPX
    2024 : Barings release to RPX
         : Assigned to Netskope Inc

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Not present. While Novell Intellectual Property Holdings Inc. and CPTN Holdings LLC are IP-holding entities, they served specific roles as an IP subsidiary of an operating company and an IP acquisition vehicle by a consortium of operating companies, respectively, not as typical shell entities for offensive assertion. The current assignee, Netskope, Inc., is an operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain: Not present (inverse signal present). RPX Corporation is a known defensive aggregator, appearing in the chain from 2016-02-11 (Reel 037809/0057) until 2024-07-05 (Reel 067918/0690).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Unclear. The provided legal event data from Google Patents does not include correspondent information.
4. Cascading transfers: Present. Three assignments occurred within a two-day period (recorded 2011-11-30, 2011-12-01), with effective dates in 2011, involving Novell, CPTN Holdings LLC, and Novell Intellectual Property Holdings, Inc. (Reel 027465/0227, 027465/0206, 027325/0131). These represent a rapid series of transfers, consistent with complex IP management during a corporate acquisition.
5. Pre-litigation transfer: Present. The assignment to Netskope, Inc. occurred on 2024-07-05 (effective 2024-06-30) (Reel 067918/0690), preceding the filing of at least two US district court cases in the California Northern District Court (3:25-cv-02360 and 4:25-cv-02360) in 2025. This transfer happened within six months of the subsequent litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present. Novell was acquired, not dissolved through bankruptcy, and subsequent transfers do not indicate a bankruptcy sale.
7. Privateering: Unclear/Not present. The patent was transferred from a defensive aggregator (RPX) to an operating company (Netskope, Inc.) which then appears to be asserting it against a competitor (Fortinet, Inc.). This is more characteristic of an operating company asserting its own acquired IP for competitive reasons, rather than a privateering arrangement where an operating company transfers patents to an NPE to sue on its behalf while remaining undisclosed.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Present. RPX Corporation, a known defensive aggregator, acquired the patent on 2016-02-11 (Reel 037809/0057) and held it until 2024-07-05 (Reel 067918/0690). However, the patent was subsequently sold by RPX to an operating company.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion.
The current assignee, Netskope, Inc., is an operating company in the cybersecurity industry. The patent was transferred to Netskope from RPX Corporation (a defensive aggregator) on 2024-07-05 (Reel 067918/0690) and subsequently became involved in litigation (e.g., California Northern District Court cases 3:25-cv-02360 and 4:25-cv-02360 in 2025) where Netskope is likely the plaintiff against a competitor. This pattern, including the pre-litigation transfer to the operating company, indicates Netskope is asserting the patent as part of its business strategy.

For verification, see the USPTO Patent Assignment Search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search for patent number 8327426).