Assignment history

Inventors

Dmitri Soubbotin (Individual) - No employer listed on the patent. The patent indicates "Individual" as the original assignee, suggesting Dmitri Soubbotin was self-employed or the patent was assigned to him personally at the time of filing.

Original assignee

Individual (Dmitri Soubbotin) - It is unclear if Dmitri Soubbotin shipped a product embodying the claims as an individual. His primary line of business as an individual inventor is not readily determinable from the patent document. Current status: Unknown for "Individual" as an assignee.

Assignment timeline

• 2026-03-24 (executed) / recorded 2026-03-24 — Reel 058142/0698

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Soubbotin, Dmitri
  • Assignee: Semantic Engines LLC
  • Correspondent: Robert J. Hill, The Law Office of Robert J. Hill, PC, 12400 Coit Rd Ste 500, Dallas, TX, 75251. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer to operating company (presumed from name "Semantic Engines")

• 2026-03-25 (executed) / recorded 2026-03-25 — Reel 058148/0461

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: Semantic Engines LLC
  • Assignee: Sona Asset Management (US) LLC
  • Correspondent: Robert J. Hill, The Law Office of Robert J. Hill, PC, 12400 Coit Rd Ste 500, Dallas, TX, 75251. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Securitization (granting a security interest)

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9218414
    2007 : Priority date
    2008 : Filed by individual inventor
    2012 : Application filed
    2015 : Issued to individual inventor
    2026 : Assigned to Semantic Engines LLC
    2026 : Security interest to Sona Asset Mgmt

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. The initial transfer to "Semantic Engines LLC" (Reel 058142/0698) could be a shell, but the name doesn't explicitly contain "IP," "Patents," or "Holdings." Without product information for Semantic Engines LLC, it's difficult to confirm. The subsequent security interest to "Sona Asset Management (US) LLC" (Reel 058148/0461) points to a financial entity, which is often involved in patent portfolios of NPEs, but is not a shell entity in itself.

2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. Neither Semantic Engines LLC nor Sona Asset Management (US) LLC are listed on common public NPE lists.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Robert J. Hill of The Law Office of Robert J. Hill, PC, is listed as the correspondent for both the assignment to Semantic Engines LLC (Reel 058142/0698) and the security interest to Sona Asset Management (US) LLC (Reel 058148/0461). The repeated appearance of the same attorney for consecutive transactions within a short timeframe is a signal.

4. Cascading transfers — unclear. There are two transfers within a short period (March 24-25, 2026). The first is an assignment to Semantic Engines LLC and the second is a security interest granted by Semantic Engines LLC to Sona Asset Management (US) LLC. While consecutive, a security interest is not a full ownership transfer, making it not a clear cascading transfer but rather a financial arrangement.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The transfers occurred in March 2026. While the Google Patents page mentions "Family has litigation," it refers to a US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court (case 2:26-cv-00339) in 2026-04-26. The assignment and security interest predate the lawsuit by approximately one month. This proximity could suggest a pre-litigation transfer; however, the precise filing date of the litigation needs to be cross-referenced with the execution date of the assignment to confirm if it falls within the 6-month window.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy for the individual inventor or Semantic Engines LLC.

7. Privateering — not present. No evidence in the assignment records or public information to suggest privateering.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The presence of a repeat correspondent (Robert J. Hill, Reel 058142/0698 and Reel 058148/0461) for both the assignment to Semantic Engines LLC and the subsequent security interest, coupled with the proximity of these transfers to reported litigation (filed April 26, 2026, after March 2026 transfers), suggests a pattern consistent with patent assertion. The "Semantic Engines LLC" entity does not clearly present as an operating company with a product.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/