Assignment history

Inventors

• Gary B. Rohrabaugh (SoftView LLC)
• Scott A. Sherman (SoftView LLC)

Original assignee

The original assignee is SoftView LLC. SoftView LLC developed vector graphic display systems and web browsers for handheld devices like PDAs and cell phones, which would embody the claims of US8533628. The company's goal was to enable mobile Internet users to view full-page websites designed for desktop computers on small screens, offering features like real-time zooming and panning without loss of quality. SoftView LLC also provided software for cPCI/PXI data acquisition and control instruments.

Based on current information, SoftView LLC appears to be an operating company, as recent legal cases and product information (dated as recently as 2022 and 2024 for legal events) are associated with the entity.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Assignment Center indicates the following assignment records for US8533628:

• 2007-12-09 (executed) / recorded 2007-12-09 — Reel 020084/0593

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: ROHRABAUGH, GARY B.
  • Assignee: SOFTSOURCE CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P., 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD 7TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to a corporate entity.

• 2007-12-09 (executed) / recorded 2007-12-09 — Reel 020084/0594

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: SHERMAN, SCOTT A.
  • Assignee: SOFTSOURCE CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P., 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD 7TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to a corporate entity.

• 2007-12-09 (executed) / recorded 2007-12-09 — Reel 020084/0595

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: SOFTSOURCE CORPORATION
  • Assignee: SOFTSOURCE, LLC
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P., 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD 7TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025. This correspondent firm also handled the two preceding assignments.
  • Context: Internal corporate reorganization/transfer.

• 2007-12-09 (executed) / recorded 2007-12-09 — Reel 020084/0596

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: SOFTSOURCE, LLC
  • Assignee: ROHRABAUGH, GARY B.
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P., 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD 7TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025. This correspondent firm also handled the three preceding assignments.
  • Context: Reassignment of interest, potentially to an individual.

• 2010-05-10 (executed) / recorded 2010-05-24 — Reel 024620/0733

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: ROHRABAUGH, GARY B.
  • Assignee: SOFTVIEW L.L.C.
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, LLP, 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SEVENTH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90025. This correspondent firm also handled the four preceding assignments.
  • Context: Transfer of interest from individual back to SoftView L.L.C.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8533628
    2007-12-09 : Rohrabaugh to SoftSource Corp
               : Sherman to SoftSource Corp
               : SoftSource Corp to SoftSource LLC
               : SoftSource LLC to Rohrabaugh
    2010-05-10 : Rohrabaugh to SoftView LLC
    2013-09-10 : Patent Issued
    2024-06-03 : Patent Expired

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. While there are transfers between entities with similar names (SOFTSOURCE CORPORATION, SOFTSOURCE, LLC, SOFTVIEW L.L.C.), these appear to be internal reorganizations rather than transfers to shell licensing entities. The company has a history of product development and ongoing litigation.

2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the assignees (SoftSource Corporation, SoftSource, LLC, SoftView L.L.C., Gary B. Rohrabaugh) are identified on public NPE lists such as RPX or Unified Patents. Although Unified Patents has challenged SoftView LLC patents in PTAB proceedings, SoftView LLC is the patent owner, not the petitioner (Unified Patents).

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. The law firm BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, L.L.P. (and its variations) is listed as the correspondent for all five recorded assignments, specifically on Reels 020084/0593, 020084/0594, 020084/0595, 020084/0596, and 024620/0733.

4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there are multiple transfers on the same day in 2007 (four assignments on 2007-12-09), these appear to be related to initial assignments from inventors and internal corporate restructuring of the SoftSource/SoftView entities, rather than rapid transfers between unrelated shell entities. The next transfer doesn't occur until 2010.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The patent was issued in 2013. The assignment timeline shows transfers prior to issuance, the latest being in 2010. While SoftView LLC has been involved in litigation (e.g., against Apple), the recorded assignments predate any likely litigation surrounding this patent's issuance.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication of SoftView LLC or its related entities undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.

7. Privateering — not present. No evidence suggests an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not end at a known defensive aggregator. Unified Patents has been involved in PTAB cases related to SoftView's patents, but as a petitioner challenging patent validity, not as an assignee.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion
The assignment records primarily show initial transfers from the inventors and subsequent internal reorganizations among entities related to SoftView LLC. The consistent presence of SoftView LLC as the ultimate assignee and its history of developing products embodying the claimed technology, along with its active involvement in patent litigation, indicates that this is an operating company asserting its intellectual property.

Verification via USPTO Assignment Center