Assignment history

Inventors

• Michael Abramson (Activemap LLC)
• Erika Jakubassa (Activemap LLC)
• Michael Grisham (Activemap LLC)
• Geoff Atkin (Activemap LLC)

All inventors were associated with the original assignee, Activemap LLC, at the time of filing. There is no immediate indication of all inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee is Activemap LLC. Based on the patent description, Activemap LLC's primary line of business appears to be developing and providing computerized systems and methods for interactive electronic area representations, such as maps, with associated information and features like a magnifier and animated images. It is unclear from the patent text alone whether Activemap LLC shipped a product embodying the claims. The current status of Activemap LLC (operating, acquired, dissolved, in bankruptcy) is not determinable from the patent document itself.

Assignment timeline

A search of the USPTO Assignment Center for US patent 8468464 reveals the following recorded assignment:

• 2009-05-29 (executed) / recorded 2009-05-29 — Reel 022797/0861
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ABRAMSON, MICHAEL; ATKIN, GEOFF; GRISHAM, MICHAEL; JAKUBASSA, ERIKA
  • Assignee: ACTIVEMAP LLC
  • Correspondent: MICHAEL ABRAMSON, 260 W 72ND ST APT 9D, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10023
  • Context: Original assignment from inventors to the filing entity.

As of the current date, no further assignments for US8468464 are publicly recorded in the USPTO Assignment Center. While Activemap LLC has partnered with Vectis IP Ltd for global licensing of its intellectual property portfolio, this arrangement is a licensing partnership and not a recorded assignment of ownership of the patent itself.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8468464
    2009 : Assigned to Activemap LLC
    2013 : Patent Issued
    2022 : Anticipated expiration
    2026 : Litigation initiated (multiple cases)

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. The only recorded assignment is from the individual inventors to Activemap LLC, which appears to be the operating entity responsible for the invention. Activemap LLC states on its website that it was founded by the invention team and is run by the original inventors.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Activemap LLC is not on the provided list of known asserters. While Activemap LLC has partnered with Vectis IP Ltd, an IP and technology licensing company, for a global licensing program, Vectis IP Ltd is an exclusive licensing partner and not an assignee of record for US8468464.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. Michael Abramson is listed as the correspondent for the initial assignment from the inventors to Activemap LLC (Reel 022797/0861). With only one recorded assignment, it is not possible to determine if this correspondent recurs across a chain for this specific patent.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There is only one recorded assignment for this patent.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The initial assignment occurred in 2009, significantly before the 2026 litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no information to suggest that Activemap LLC has filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While Activemap LLC has engaged Vectis IP Ltd for a global licensing program and has initiated infringement actions in Germany through Activemap Europe GmbH, it is not definitively clear from the provided information if this constitutes privateering in the sense of an operating company transferring to an NPE to assert on its behalf against competitors. Activemap LLC is run by the original inventors and appears to be actively managing its patent portfolio through licensing and enforcement, rather than solely existing as a shell for another operating company.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent is currently held by Activemap LLC, which is asserting the patent.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence. While Activemap LLC appears to be run by the original inventors and actively licenses its portfolio, the engagement of Vectis IP Ltd, an IP and technology licensing company, for a "global licensing program" and the numerous recent infringement lawsuits in the Texas Eastern District Court (e.g., cases 2:26-cv-00159 through 2:26-cv-00171) suggest an assertion-focused strategy. Although Activemap LLC may have developed products embodying the claims in the past, its current activities, particularly the extensive litigation and partnership with a dedicated IP licensing firm, align with a patent assertion entity model, even if it originated as an operating company. The patent has not been acquired by a known defensive aggregator.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/