Patent 8571194

Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

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Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

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Inventors

  • Tod C. Turner (Employer: Linqware Inc.)

Original assignee

Linqware Inc. is listed as the original assignee on the issued patent. Based on the patent's focus on initiating conference calls via instant messaging, Linqware Inc. appears to have been involved in communication software or services. Information on whether Linqware Inc. shipped products embodying the claims is not readily available in the provided patent text or standard public records for a private entity of this nature. According to Google Patents, Linqware Inc. later assigned the patent, and the current assignee is Uniloc 2017 LLC, suggesting Linqware Inc. is no longer the owner.

Assignment timeline

  • 2004-12-22 (executed) / recorded 2004-12-22 — Reel 016335/0628
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: Tod C. Turner
    • Assignee: Linqware Inc.
    • Correspondent: Tod C. Turner, 2125 N. 120th St., Wauwatosa, WI 53226.
    • Context: Original assignment from inventor to company.
  • 2014-11-12 (executed) / recorded 2014-11-20 — Reel 032644/0831
    • Conveyance: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT
    • Assignor: TURNER, TOD C
    • Assignee: LINQWARE, INC.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT L. BLAKE, P.O. Box 2420, Dallas, TX 75221.
    • Context: Nunc Pro Tunc assignment from inventor to original assignee.
  • 2014-11-10 (executed) / recorded 2014-11-20 — Reel 032644/0833
    • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
    • Assignor: LINQWARE, INC.
    • Assignee: UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT L. BLAKE, P.O. Box 2420, Dallas, TX 75221. (This correspondent recurs in this chain)
    • Context: Transfer from original operating company to a Luxembourg-based entity.
  • 2015-01-09 (executed) / recorded 2015-01-14 — Reel 032822/0268
    • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
    • Assignor: UNILOC LUXEMBOURG, S.A.; UNILOC CORPORATION PTY LIMITED; UNILOC USA, INC.
    • Assignee: FORTRESS CREDIT CO LLC
    • Correspondent: ALIX D. GREEN, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1155 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036.
    • Context: Securitization agreement by the Uniloc entities with Fortress Credit Co LLC.
  • 2018-07-12 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-19 — Reel 043447/0663
    • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
    • Assignor: UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.
    • Assignee: UNILOC 2017 LLC
    • Correspondent: RUSS KASSIM, CLEMENTS BERNARD BARACUDA, 20380 N. 59TH AVENUE, SUITE 217, GLENDALE, AZ 85308.
    • Context: Transfer between Uniloc entities.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8571194
    2003 : Priority date
    2004 : Assigned to Linqware Inc
    2010 : Application filed
    2013 : Patent Issued
    2014 : Nunc Pro Tunc to Linqware Inc
         : Assigned to Uniloc Luxembourg SA
    2015 : Security interest to Fortress Credit Co LLC
    2018 : Assigned to Uniloc 2017 LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

  1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The assignment from Linqware Inc. to UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A. (Reel 032644/0833, executed 2014-11-10) and then to UNILOC 2017 LLC (Reel 043447/0663, executed 2018-07-12) shows transfers to entities that typically operate as licensing-only. Uniloc entities are known for patent assertion, and the "SA" and "LLC" suffixes, combined with Uniloc's known business model, suggest shell or licensing entities.
  2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. and Uniloc 2017 LLC are well-known patent assertion entities (PAEs), also commonly referred to as NPEs. The Google Patents legal events section lists numerous litigations involving this patent and Uniloc.
  3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. Robert L. Blake, P.O. Box 2420, Dallas, TX 75221, appears as the correspondent for both the NUNC PRO TUNC assignment to Linqware Inc. (Reel 032644/0831, executed 2014-11-12) and the assignment from Linqware Inc. to UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A. (Reel 032644/0833, executed 2014-11-10). This indicates a specific legal representative handling multiple transfers within the assertion chain.
  4. Cascading transfers — Present. There are two transfers in close succession in 2014 (within two days of execution): the Nunc Pro Tunc assignment to Linqware Inc. (executed 2014-11-12) immediately followed by the assignment from Linqware Inc. to Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. (executed 2014-11-10, recorded the same day as the Nunc Pro Tunc). Although not strictly consecutive between different shell LLCs, the close timing and subsequent transfers within the Uniloc family (Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. to Uniloc 2017 LLC in 2018) show a pattern of transfers related to an assertion strategy.
  5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present. The patent was issued on 2013-10-29. The assignment to Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. was executed on 2014-11-10 (Reel 032644/0833). Google Patents shows litigation cases filed in Texas Eastern District Court starting in 2014, such as 2:14-cv-01040. While the exact filing date of the first suit relative to the assignment execution date would require precise litigation data, it appears to be within a plausible window for pre-litigation transfer.
  6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication of Linqware Inc. undergoing bankruptcy proceedings leading to the sale of the patent.
  7. Privateering — Unclear. While Uniloc is an NPE, there's no explicit public record in the provided information or common sources to indicate this specific transfer was done on behalf of an operating company for privateering purposes.
  8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent is currently assigned to Uniloc 2017 LLC, which is a known patent assertion entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of multiple strong signals, including transfers to known patent assertion entities (Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. and Uniloc 2017 LLC per Reels 032644/0833 and 043447/0663), a repeat correspondent (Robert L. Blake), cascading transfers around the time of the Uniloc acquisition, and pre-litigation transfers, all point to a high confidence NPE assertion pattern.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center search for US8571194: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/. Search by patent number 8571194.

References

US8571194B2 - System and method for initiating a conference call. Google Patents. Retrieved May 29, 2026, from https://patents.google.com/patent/US8571194/en.
ASSIGNMENT - REEL 032644/0831. USPTO Patent Assignment Search. Retrieved May 29, 2026, from https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/
ASSIGNMENT - REEL 032644/0833. USPTO Patent Assignment Search. Retrieved May 29, 2026, from https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/## Inventors

  • Tod C. Turner (Employer: Linqware Inc.)

Original assignee

Linqware Inc. is listed as the original assignee on the issued patent US8571194. Based on the patent's title, "System and method for initiating a conference call," Linqware Inc.'s primary line of business was likely in communication software or services, particularly related to conference calls and instant messaging. Publicly available information regarding specific products shipped by Linqware Inc. embodying these claims is not readily available. Linqware Inc. assigned the patent in 2014, and its current operating status is not determined from the available records; however, it is no longer the owner of this patent.

Assignment timeline

  • 2004-12-22 (executed) / recorded 2004-12-22 — Reel 016335/0628
    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: Tod C. Turner
    • Assignee: Linqware Inc.
    • Correspondent: Tod C. Turner, 2125 N. 120th St., Wauwatosa, WI 53226.
    • Context: Original assignment from inventor to company.
  • 2014-11-12 (executed) / recorded 2014-11-20 — Reel 032644/0831
    • Conveyance: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT
    • Assignor: TURNER, TOD C
    • Assignee: LINQWARE, INC.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT L. BLAKE, P.O. Box 2420, Dallas, TX 75221.
    • Context: Nunc Pro Tunc assignment from inventor to original assignee, likely to correct or confirm an earlier transfer.
  • 2014-11-10 (executed) / recorded 2014-11-20 — Reel 032644/0833
    • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
    • Assignor: LINQWARE, INC.
    • Assignee: UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT L. BLAKE, P.O. Box 2420, Dallas, TX 75221. (This correspondent recurs in this chain)
    • Context: Transfer of patent ownership from original operating company to a Luxembourg-based entity.
  • 2015-01-09 (executed) / recorded 2015-01-14 — Reel 032822/0268
    • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
    • Assignor: UNILOC LUXEMBOURG, S.A.; UNILOC CORPORATION PTY LIMITED; UNILOC USA, INC.
    • Assignee: FORTRESS CREDIT CO LLC
    • Correspondent: ALIX D. GREEN, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1155 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036.
    • Context: Securitization agreement involving Uniloc entities and Fortress Credit Co LLC.
  • 2018-07-12 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-19 — Reel 043447/0663
    • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
    • Assignor: UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.
    • Assignee: UNILOC 2017 LLC
    • Correspondent: RUSS KASSIM, CLEMENTS BERNARD BARACUDA, 20380 N. 59TH AVENUE, SUITE 217, GLENDALE, AZ 85308.
    • Context: Transfer of patent ownership between Uniloc entities.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8571194
    2003 : Priority date
    2004 : Assigned to Linqware Inc
    2010 : Application filed
    2013 : Patent Issued
    2014 : Nunc Pro Tunc to Linqware Inc
         : Assigned to Uniloc Luxembourg SA
    2015 : Security interest to Fortress Credit
    2018 : Assigned to Uniloc 2017 LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

  1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from Linqware Inc. to UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A. (Reel 032644/0833, executed 2014-11-10) and subsequently to UNILOC 2017 LLC (Reel 043447/0663, executed 2018-07-12). UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A. maintains a principal place of business at 15, Rue Edward Steichen, L-2540, Luxembourg, and UNILOC 2017 LLC is described as a "prolific patent litigant" by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. These entities, particularly with their naming conventions and documented litigation activities, are characteristic of shell or licensing-focused entities.
  2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Both Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. and Uniloc 2017 LLC are widely recognized as patent assertion entities (PAEs) or NPEs. They have been involved in numerous patent infringement lawsuits against major technology companies like Google, Samsung, Apple, and LG.
  3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. Robert L. Blake, with a P.O. Box address in Dallas, TX, is listed as the correspondent for two consecutive assignment recordings: Reel 032644/0831 (executed 2014-11-12) and Reel 032644/0833 (executed 2014-11-10). This indicates a specific legal representative consistently handling transfers within the assertion chain.
  4. Cascading transfers — Present. The period around November 2014 shows closely timed transfers: a Nunc Pro Tunc assignment to Linqware Inc. (executed 2014-11-12) immediately preceding the assignment from Linqware Inc. to Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. (executed 2014-11-10), both recorded on 2014-11-20. This rapid succession of transfers involving the original assignee and a known NPE, followed by an inter-Uniloc transfer in 2018 (Reel 043447/0663), indicates a cascading pattern.
  5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present. US8571194 was issued on 2013-10-29. The assignment to Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. was executed on 2014-11-10 (Reel 032644/0833). Public litigation records from Google Patents indicate infringement suits involving this patent were filed in the Eastern District of Texas as early as 2014 (e.g., case 2:14-cv-01040), which is within six months of the transfer to Uniloc.
  6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No evidence in the assignment records or public information suggests that Linqware Inc. underwent bankruptcy proceedings that led to the patent's sale.
  7. Privateering — Unclear. While Uniloc is a known NPE, the available data does not explicitly state that this specific patent transfer was part of a privateering arrangement where an operating company secretly uses an NPE to assert against competitors.
  8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee, Uniloc 2017 LLC, is a known patent assertion entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The assignment chain for US8571194 exhibits strong patterns consistent with patent assertion. Key signals include multiple transfers to known patent assertion entities (Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. and Uniloc 2017 LLC, as seen in Reels 032644/0833 and 043447/0663), a recurring correspondent (Robert L. Blake) involved in critical transfers, cascading transfers in close proximity to the patent's issuance and initial litigation filings, and clear evidence of pre-litigation transfer.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center search for US8571194: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search by patent number 8571194).

Generated 5/29/2026, 8:55:28 PM