Assignment history

Inventors

• Kay Johansson (MobiTV Inc.)
• Kent Karlsson (MobiTV Inc.)

There are no unusual patterns indicating inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing.

Original assignee

MobiTV Inc. was the original assignee named on the issued patent US8542705B2. MobiTV Inc. was a company focused on providing live and on-demand TV services to mobile devices. MobiTV Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 and was subsequently acquired by TiVo Corporation (now Adeia).

Assignment timeline

• 2007-01-22 (executed) / recorded 2007-01-23 — Reel 018793/0915

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Johansson, Kay; Karlsson, Kent
  • Assignee: MobiTV, Inc., California
  • Correspondent: MobiTV, Inc., 1415 North McDowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA 94954
  • Context: Original assignment from inventors to company

• 2017-02-03 (executed) / recorded 2017-02-15 — Reel 041718/0395

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: MOBITV, INC.
  • Assignee: ALLY BANK, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
  • Correspondent: BASS, BERRY & SIMS PLC, 150 3rd Avenue South, Suite 2800, Nashville, TN 37201
  • Context: Securitization

• 2018-08-03 (executed) / recorded 2018-08-10 — Reel 046761/0718

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: MOBITV, INC.
  • Assignee: ALLY COMMERICAL FINANCE LLC, NEW YORK
  • Correspondent: BASS, BERRY & SIMS PLC, 150 3rd Avenue South, Suite 2800, Nashville, TN 37201. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Securitization

• 2021-05-31 (executed) / recorded 2021-06-01 — Reel 056444/0076

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: MOBITV, INC.; MOBITV SERVICES, INC.
  • Assignee: TIVO CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: NIXON PEABODY LLP, 799 9th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20001
  • Context: Acquisition

• 2023-05-19 (executed) / recorded 2023-05-19 — Reel 063707/0884

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: ADEIA GUIDES INC.; ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC; ADEIA MEDIA SOLUTIONS INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR BONDING TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS LLC; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT, NORTH CAROLINA
  • Correspondent: VENABLE LLP, P.O. BOX 34385, WASHINGTON, DC 20043
  • Context: Securitization

• 2021-11-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-01 — Reel 069083/0250

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: TIVO CORPORATION
  • Assignee: TIVO LLC, CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC, 2830 De La Cruz Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95050
  • Context: Corporate name change

• 2022-08-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-01 — Reel 069083/0325

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: TIVO LLC
  • Assignee: ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC, CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC, 2830 De La Cruz Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95050. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Corporate name change

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8542705
    2007 : Assigned to MobiTV Inc
    2013 : Issued
    2017 : Security interest to Ally Bank
    2018 : Security interest to Ally Commercial
    2021 : Assigned to TiVo Corporation
    2023 : Security interest to Bank of America
    2024 : TiVo Corp name change to TiVo LLC
         : TiVo LLC name change to Adeia Media Holdings

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. The transfers to TiVo Corporation and then Adeia Media Holdings LLC (via name changes) do not immediately suggest a shell entity, as these are known operating companies in the media technology space. However, further investigation into the specific business activities of Adeia Media Holdings LLC at the time of the latest name change would be needed to be definitive.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the assignees (MobiTV Inc., Ally Bank, Ally Commercial Finance LLC, TiVo Corporation, TiVo LLC, Adeia Media Holdings LLC, Bank of America, N.A.) are publicly listed as known patent asserters (NPEs).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Bass, Berry & Sims PLC appears as the correspondent for both the 2017-02-15 (Reel 041718/0395) and 2018-08-10 (Reel 046761/0718) security interests. Adeia Media Holdings LLC itself is listed as the correspondent for the two 2024-10-01 change of name conveyances (Reel 069083/0250 and Reel 069083/0325).
4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there were two change of name filings recorded on the same day in 2024, they represent internal corporate restructuring rather than rapid consecutive assignments through chained LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The family has litigation, with a US case filed in Delaware District Court (1:24-cv-01231) and a PTAB case IPR2026-00052 filed. The most recent assignment (excluding the name changes) was to TiVo Corporation on 2021-06-01 (Reel 056444/0076). The litigation was filed in 2024. Therefore, this transfer did not occur within 6 months before the litigation filing. The security interests are not considered transfers of ownership for assertion purposes.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — present. MobiTV Inc., the original assignee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021, and the patent was subsequently assigned to TiVo Corporation (Reel 056444/0076).
7. Privateering — unclear. While Adeia Media Holdings LLC is the current assignee and a known entity in media technology, and the patent is involved in litigation, there is no explicit information from public sources indicating that Adeia is asserting this patent on behalf of a third-party operating company against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not end at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The primary signal is the bankruptcy fire-sale of the original operating company, MobiTV Inc., to TiVo Corporation (now Adeia Media Holdings LLC) as recorded on Reel 056444/0076. While Adeia is an operating company, acquisitions from bankruptcy proceedings often lead to portfolios being managed for assertion, even if not by a traditional shell NPE. Additionally, the presence of litigation related to this patent further supports the potential for assertion.

USPTO Assignment Center search page: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/