Assignment history

Inventors

The sole named inventor for U.S. Patent 8,666,062 is Robert J. Lambert. While the patent text does not explicitly state his employer at the time of filing, the original assignee on the patent application was Certicom Corp., indicating that he was likely employed by or had assigned his rights to Certicom Corp. at that time. A formal assignment from Robert J. Lambert to Certicom Corp. was recorded on September 3, 2013, with an execution date of August 27, 2013 (Reel 031267/0324).

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Certicom Corp. Certicom Corp. was a Canadian company known for its specialization in elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and secure communications products, including cryptographic toolkits and security solutions. The patent itself describes a "finite field engine for use with cryptographic systems" [cite: "the invention relates to finite fields, and more particularly to a finite field engine for use with cryptographic systems."]. Certicom Corp. was acquired by Research In Motion (later BlackBerry Limited) in 2009. Therefore, as a standalone entity, Certicom Corp. is no longer operating, having been integrated into BlackBerry's operations. BlackBerry, as the successor, shipped products embodying cryptographic claims.

Assignment timeline

• 2013-08-27 (executed) / recorded 2013-09-03 — Reel 031267/0324
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: LAMBERT, ROBERT J.
  • Assignee: CERTICOM CORP.
  • Correspondent: BLAKE, ANTHONY & WHALE, JAMES BERRY & BLACKBURN 2000 DAYTON STREET, SUITE 104, P.O. BOX 1709, SALINA, KS 67402-1709.
  • Context: Inventor's assignment of rights to the original assignee.
• 2014-01-17 (executed) / recorded 2014-01-23 — Reel 031535/0540
  • Conveyance: CHANGE OF NAME
  • Assignor: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
  • Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Correspondent: GOWLING LAFLEUR HENDERSON LLP 160 ELGIN STREET, SUITE 2600 OTTAWA, ON K1P 1C3 CANADA. This correspondent also appears in the 2019 assignment to BlackBerry Limited.
  • Context: Corporate name change from Research In Motion Limited to BlackBerry Limited.
• 2019-10-02 (executed) / recorded 2019-10-10 — Reel 054813/0556
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
  • Assignor: CERTICOM CORP.
  • Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Correspondent: GOWLING WLG (CANADA) LLP 100 KING STREET WEST, SUITE 1600 TORONTO, ON M5X 1G5 CANADA. This correspondent also appeared in the 2014 change of name for BlackBerry.
  • Context: Internal transfer of assets from the acquired Certicom subsidiary to the parent company BlackBerry Limited.
• 2023-06-16 (executed) / recorded 2023-06-21 — Reel 059483/0947
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
  • Assignor: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Assignee: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: FOSTER, ANDREW D. LERNER DAVID LITTENBERG KRUMHOLZ & MENTLIK, LLP 600 SOUTH AVENUE WEST WESTFIELD, NJ 07090. This correspondent also appears on the subsequent Nunc Pro Tunc assignment.
  • Context: Transfer of patent portfolio from operating company BlackBerry Limited to Malikie Innovations Limited.
• 2023-06-19 (executed) / recorded 2023-06-21 — Reel 059483/0950
  • Conveyance: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
  • Assignee: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: FOSTER, ANDREW D. LERNER DAVID LITTENBERG KRUMHOLZ & MENTLIK, LLP 600 SOUTH AVENUE WEST WESTFIELD, NJ 07090. This correspondent also appeared on the prior assignment to Malikie Innovations Limited.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment to correct or clarify details of the previous transfer.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8666062
    2008 : Filed by Certicom Corp
    2013 : Inventor assigns to Certicom
    2014 : BlackBerry name change
         : Patent Issued Mar 4
    2019 : Certicom assigns to BlackBerry
    2023 : BlackBerry assigns to Malikie
         : Nunc Pro Tunc to Malikie
    2025 : First suit filed Sep 13
         : Patent Expired Oct 14
         : Second suit filed Oct 27

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from BlackBerry Limited (an operating company) to Malikie Innovations Limited (Reel 059483/0947, 059483/0950; executed 2023-06-16, recorded 2023-06-21). Malikie Innovations Ltd. is described as a subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Ltd., an Irish non-practicing entity (NPE) [cite: "Malikie Innovations Ltd. is a subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Ltd., an Irish non-practicing entity (NPE) that acquired a significant patent portfolio from BlackBerry in May 2023."].
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Malikie Innovations Limited, the current assignee, is identified as a subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Ltd., a known non-practicing entity and active litigant [cite: "Malikie Innovations Ltd. is a subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Ltd., an Irish non-practicing entity (NPE) that acquired a significant patent portfolio from BlackBerry in May 2023."]. The transfer to Malikie occurred on 2023-06-16 / recorded 2023-06-21 (Reel 059483/0947).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present.
   • Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP / Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP appears as correspondent on the change of name in 2014 (Reel 031535/0540) and the Certicom to BlackBerry assignment in 2019 (Reel 054813/0556).
   • Andrew D. Foster of Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik, LLP appears as correspondent for both the 2023-06-16 assignment (Reel 059483/0947) and the 2023-06-19 Nunc Pro Tunc assignment (Reel 059483/0950) to Malikie Innovations Limited.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. While there are two assignments to Malikie Innovations Limited (an initial assignment and a Nunc Pro Tunc assignment), they represent a single transaction and are recorded on the same day, not multiple transfers through different chained LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The assignment to Malikie Innovations Limited was executed on 2023-06-16 (Reel 059483/0947, 059483/0950). The first infringement suit involving this patent was filed on September 13, 2025 (Case Number: 7:25-cv-00222), which is more than 6 months after the assignment.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. The patent transfers did not occur as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding by the original assignee.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While BlackBerry sold its portfolio to an NPE, there is no explicit public record or reporting provided here to confirm that Malikie is asserting these patents specifically on behalf of BlackBerry against its competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent chain terminates with Malikie Innovations Limited, which is an NPE, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

Justification: The patent was transferred from an operating company (BlackBerry Limited) to a known non-practicing entity (Malikie Innovations Limited) (Reel 059483/0947, 059483/0950; executed 2023-06-16, recorded 2023-06-21). Malikie Innovations Limited is a subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Ltd., an entity explicitly identified as an active patent asserter. The presence of repeat correspondent attorneys across different transfers in the chain further reinforces the pattern of patent monetization by a non-practicing entity.

Verification via USPTO Assignment Center: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/8666062