Assignment history

Inventors

• Michael L. Purdy: Employee of Research In Motion Limited (later BlackBerry Ltd) at the time of filing.
• Ryan Mitchell Bayne: Employee of Research In Motion Limited (later BlackBerry Ltd) at the time of filing.

Original assignee

BlackBerry Ltd (formerly Research In Motion Limited) was the original assignee named on the issued patent. At the time of filing and issuance, BlackBerry was a prominent manufacturer of smartphones, tablets, and communication software, actively shipping products embodying the claims related to portable devices and battery charging. Its primary line of business was mobile communications devices and services. BlackBerry Ltd is currently an operating company, having pivoted its business focus primarily to security software and services.

Assignment timeline

• 2012-01-19 (executed) / recorded 2012-01-24 — Reel 027415/0096

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: BAYNE, RYAN MITCHELL, PURDY, MICHAEL L.
  • Assignee: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
  • Correspondent: R. BARRY THOMPSON, Research In Motion Limited, 295 Phillip St, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3W8, CANADA.
  • Context: Initial assignment from the inventors to their employer.

• 2013-09-17 (executed) / recorded 2013-10-09 — Reel 031383/0942

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
  • Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Correspondent: R. BARRY THOMPSON, Blackberry Limited, 295 Phillip St, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3W8, CANADA. This correspondent also appeared on the prior assignment.
  • Context: Corporate name change of the original assignee.

• 2023-04-27 (executed) / recorded 2023-04-27 — Reel 063471/0474

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Assignee: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Correspondent: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC, 2734 N ASHLAND AVE #355, CHICAGO, IL, 60614.
  • Context: Transfer of patent from the original operating company (BlackBerry) to an escrow entity.

• 2023-06-12 (executed) / recorded 2023-06-16 — Reel 064015/0001

  • Conveyance: Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment
  • Assignor: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Assignee: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: BRENT D. SHEAR, 10700 HARMON ROAD, #203, FORT WORTH, TX, 76140. This correspondent will recur in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer of patent from the escrow entity to a patent monetization firm, effective retroactively.

• 2023-06-15 (executed) / recorded 2023-06-19 — Reel 064065/0820

  • Conveyance: Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment
  • Assignor: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Assignee: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: BRENT D. SHEAR, 10700 HARMON ROAD, #203, FORT WORTH, TX, 76140. This correspondent also appeared on the prior assignment.
  • Context: Direct transfer from BlackBerry to Malikie, likely clarifying or affirming the previous escrow transfer.

• 2023-08-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-09-05 — Reel 064438/0342

  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Assignee: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Correspondent: BRENT D. SHEAR, 10700 HARMON ROAD, #203, FORT WORTH, TX, 76140. This correspondent also appeared on prior assignments.
  • Context: Corrective assignment related to the transfer between BlackBerry and the escrow entity.

• 2023-08-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-09-05 — Reel 064438/0347

  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Assignee: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: BRENT D. SHEAR, 10700 HARMON ROAD, #203, FORT WORTH, TX, 76140. This correspondent also appeared on prior assignments.
  • Context: Corrective assignment related to the transfer between the escrow entity and Malikie Innovations.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8610397
    2012 : Filed by inventors
         : Assigned to Research In Motion Ltd
    2013 : Research In Motion becomes BlackBerry Ltd
    2023 : Assigned to OT Patent Escrow LLC
         : Assigned to Malikie Innovations Ltd
         : Corrective assignments recorded
    2024 : First infringement suits filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred to "OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC" (Reel 063471/0474) and subsequently to "MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED" (Reel 064015/0001, 064065/0820). Both names suggest special-purpose entities for patent management, and their recorded addresses (suite numbers) can be indicative of registered agent services. Malikie Innovations Limited's self-description and extensive litigation history confirm a licensing and assertion focus rather than product sales.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Malikie Innovations Limited is a known Non-Practicing Entity (NPE) and an entity of Key Patent Innovations Limited, explicitly identified by Unified Patents and RPX as a patent monetization firm that acquired BlackBerry's non-core patent portfolio to assert. Google Patents also lists multiple litigations involving Malikie Innovations Ltd, including PTAB cases and district court lawsuits.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. Brent D. Shear (10700 HARMON ROAD, #203, FORT WORTH, TX, 76140) served as the correspondent of record for four assignments involving OT Patent Escrow, LLC and Malikie Innovations Limited (Reel 064015/0001, 064065/0820, 064438/0342, 064438/0347). This recurrence indicates a consistent legal representative for the patent assertion entities.

4. Cascading transfers — Present. Multiple assignments and corrective assignments occurred in quick succession from April to September 2023 (Reel 063471/0474, 064015/0001, 064065/0820, 064438/0342, 064438/0347), involving BlackBerry, an escrow entity, and Malikie Innovations Limited. This series of transfers within a few months is characteristic of cascading transfers.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear/Weak Signal. The primary transfers to Malikie Innovations Limited were executed and recorded in June 2023 (Reel 064015/0001, 064065/0820). The first infringement lawsuits related to this patent family were filed in March 2024 (e.g., 2:24-cv-00179), which is slightly outside the strict 6-month window. However, the acquisition of the BlackBerry portfolio by Key Patent Innovations (Malikie's parent) was completed in May 2023, and these transfers immediately preceded the subsequent widespread assertion campaign, indicating a strategic transfer for monetization purposes.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. BlackBerry Ltd is an active operating company, not in bankruptcy proceedings.

7. Privateering — Unclear. While BlackBerry sold its "non-core patents" to Malikie, suggesting a divestment strategy, there is no direct evidence to suggest that BlackBerry is actively directing Malikie's assertions against specific competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee, Malikie Innovations Limited, is an identified NPE.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of multiple strong signals, including transfers to shell entities (OT Patent Escrow, LLC and Malikie Innovations Limited) (Reel 063471/0474, 064015/0001), the explicit identification of Malikie Innovations Limited as a known NPE by industry watchdogs (Unified Patents, RPX), and the recurrence of the same correspondent (Brent D. Shear) across multiple transfers to these entities (Reel 064015/0001, 064065/0820, 064438/0342, 064438/0347), collectively point to a high-confidence NPE assertion pattern. These transfers were also part of cascading assignments occurring within a short timeframe in 2023.

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