Assignment history

Inventors

• Mark S. O'Hare (Security First Corp.)
• Rick L. Orsini (Security First Corp.)
• Roger S. Davenport (Security First Corp.)
• Steven Winick (Security First Corp.)

The inventors were associated with Security First Corp., the original assignee, at the time of filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee of US patent 9135456 is Security First Corp.

Security First Corp. was a developer of a data-centric cybersecurity platform, utilizing a unique cryptographic splitting capability and SPx™ Technology to protect data. Their products included SPxSHARC, SPxGateway, and SPxClient, which provided end-to-end data security solutions. The patent's subject matter, "Secure data parser method and system," directly aligns with the company's core technology.

Security First Corp. is currently listed as "Out of Business," with a "Bankruptcy: Admin/Reorg" status as of October 28, 2021.

Assignment timeline

1. 2014-09-02 (executed) / recorded 2014-09-02 — Reel 031948/0173

   • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
   • Assignor: WINICK, STEVEN; ORSINI, RICK L.; DAVENPORT, ROGER S.; O'HARE, MARK S.
   • Assignee: SECURITY FIRST CORP.
   • Correspondent: SECURITY FIRST CORP., 23026 AVENIDA DE LA CARLOTTA, SUITE 700, LAGUNA HILLS, CA 92653
   • Context: Initial transfer of patent rights from the individual inventors to the original corporate assignee.

2. 2016-06-24 (executed) / recorded 2016-06-24 — Reel 037798/0602

   • Conveyance: Patent Security Agreement
   • Assignor: SECURITY FIRST CORP.
   • Assignee: LG MANAGEMENT LLC
   • Correspondent: STEPHEN M. PERLBINDER, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP, 885 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022
   • Context: Security interest granted by Security First Corp. to LG Management LLC, likely for financing or loan collateral.

3. 2022-08-29 (executed) / recorded 2022-09-09 — Reel 059952/0111

   • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
   • Assignor: SECURITY FIRST CORP
   • Assignee: SECURITY FIRST INNOVATIONS, LLC
   • Correspondent: RICK L. ORSINI, C/O SECURITY FIRST INNOVATIONS, LLC, 27530 LASSO LN, LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677. This correspondent is also an inventor on the patent.
   • Context: Transfer of patent ownership from the bankrupt original assignee to a new entity, Security First Innovations, LLC, likely as part of a post-bankruptcy asset transfer or sale.

4. 2022-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2022-10-04 — Reel 060017/0052

   • Conveyance: Release
   • Assignor: LG MANAGEMENT LLC
   • Assignee: SECURITY FIRST CORP.
   • Correspondent: NICHOLAS F. COZZARELLI, Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP, Headquarters Plaza, One Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07962
   • Context: Release of the security interest by LG Management LLC, clearing the encumbrance on the patent rights previously held by Security First Corp. This occurred shortly after the assignment to Security First Innovations, LLC, ensuring a clear title.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9135456
    2014 : Filed; Assigned to Security First Corp
    2015 : Issued
    2016 : Patent Security Agreement to LG Mgmt LLC
    2021 : Security First Corp out of business
    2022 : Assigned to Security First Innovations LLC
         : Security interest released
    2025 : PTAB case filed IPR2025-01202

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from an operating company, Security First Corp., which is now out of business due to bankruptcy, to Security First Innovations, LLC (Reel 059952/0111, executed 2022-08-29 / recorded 2022-09-09). Security First Innovations, LLC, while linked to the original company's founder, appears to primarily manage intellectual property for licensing and assertion, rather than actively shipping products.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Security First Innovations LLC is currently involved in litigation concerning this patent. It is named as the respondent in PTAB case IPR2025-01202, where International Business Machines Corporation is the petitioner, indicating active assertion.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. The recorded assignments show different correspondents for each event: Security First Corp. itself (Reel 031948/0173), Stephen M. Perlbinder of Latham & Watkins LLP (Reel 037798/0602), Rick L. Orsini (an inventor) for Security First Innovations, LLC (Reel 059952/0111), and Nicholas F. Cozzarelli of Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP (Reel 060017/0052).
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. The assignments are spaced out over several years (2014, 2016, 2022), not a rapid succession of transfers.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The assignment to Security First Innovations, LLC occurred in August 2022 (Reel 059952/0111), which is well over six months before the earliest identified litigation filing date of July 2025 for IPR2025-01202.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Present. The original assignee, Security First Corp., was reported as "Out of Business" and undergoing "Bankruptcy: Admin/Reorg" as of October 28, 2021. The patent was subsequently assigned to Security First Innovations, LLC in August 2022 (Reel 059952/0111), strongly suggesting it was transferred as part of the bankruptcy proceedings or liquidation of assets.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While Security First Innovations, LLC is asserting the patent, there is no explicit public record indicating that an operating company transferred the patent to them to assert on their behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee, Security First Innovations, LLC, is actively asserting the patent, as evidenced by the ongoing PTAB litigation.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of multiple strong signals, including the transfer from a bankrupt operating company to an IP-focused entity (Security First Innovations, LLC) (Reel 059952/0111) and the active assertion of the patent by this entity against IBM in PTAB litigation, strongly indicates an NPE pattern. The bankruptcy of the original assignee (Security First Corp.) further supports a divestiture of IP for monetization.

Verification: USPTO Assignment Center for US9135456