Assignment history

Inventors

• Takashi Kashimura, Yokkaichi, JP
• Xiaolong Hu, Yokkaichi, JP
• Sayako Nagamine, Yokkaichi, JP
• Yusuke Yoshida, Yokkaichi, JP
• Hiroaki Iuchi, Yokkaichi, JP
• Akira Nakada, Yokkaichi, JP
• Kazutaka Yoshizawa, Yokkaichi, JP

All inventors list Yokkaichi, Japan, as their city of residence, which is the location of a major fabrication plant for SanDisk, the original assignee. This indicates they were likely employees of SanDisk at the time of invention and filing. No unusual departure patterns have been identified.

Original Assignee

The original assignee of record is SanDisk Technologies LLC. SanDisk was a major manufacturer of flash memory products, including memory cards, SSDs, and USB flash drives, and actively developed and commercialized the technology covered by its patents. In 2016, SanDisk Corporation (the parent company) was acquired by Western Digital Corporation. The specific entity, SanDisk Technologies LLC, appears to have been the primary intellectual property holding subsidiary for SanDisk.

Assignment Timeline

• 2014-10-10 (executed) / 2014-10-13 (recorded) — Reel 033694/0832

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: Takashi Kashimura, Xiaolong Hu, Sayako Nagamine, Yusuke Yoshida, Hiroaki Iuchi, Akira Nakada, Kazutaka Yoshizawa
  • Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
  • Correspondent: THE LAW FIRM OF KAREN DANA, LLC, 131 E. MAIN STREET, SUITE 2, PENNS GROVE, NJ 08069
  • Context: Routine assignment from inventors to their employer at the time of filing.

• 2016-04-18 (executed) / 2016-05-25 (recorded) — Reel 038575/0285

  • Conveyance: CHANGE OF NAME
  • Assignor: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
  • Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Correspondent: The Marbury Law Group, PLLC, 11800 Sunrise Valley Drive, 15th Floor, Reston, VA 20191
  • Context: Corporate name change from "Inc." to "LLC," likely as part of an internal corporate restructuring.

• 2024-08-14 (executed) / 2024-08-15 (recorded) — Reel 067571/0724

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: SanDisk Technologies LLC
  • Assignee: Palisade Technologies, LLP
  • Correspondent: Law Office of Michael L. Smith, P.L.L.C., 2190 N. Loop W, Suite 315, Houston, TX 77018
  • Context: Transfer from the original operating company's successor to a newly-formed entity, Palisade Technologies, LLP, shortly before litigation was initiated.

Timeline Diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9281314B1
    2014 : Application filed
         : Assigned to SanDisk Technologies Inc
    2016 : Patent issued
         : Name change to SanDisk Technologies LLC
    2024 : Assigned to Palisade Technologies LLP
         : Infringement suit filed vs Micron
    2025 : IPR filed by Micron
         : PTAB denies IPR institution
    2026 : District court case dismissed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Present. The patent was transferred from SanDisk Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of the operating company Western Digital, to Palisade Technologies, LLP on August 14, 2024 (Reel 067571/0724). Litigation records from Palisade Technologies, LLP v. Micron (W.D. Tex., 7:24-cv-00262) state that Palisade was formed in July 2024, just one month before acquiring the patent. The entity name, recent formation, and lack of any public-facing products strongly suggest it is a non-practicing entity created for assertion purposes.

2. Known asserter in the chain: Present. Palisade Technologies, LLP filed suit against Micron Technology, Inc. on October 16, 2024, approximately two months after acquiring the patent. This act of assertion, without evidence of producing any related products, qualifies Palisade as a patent assertion entity (PAE), a common synonym for NPE.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Not present. The correspondents for the three recorded assignments are all different law firms, showing no direct link through legal representation in the assignment chain itself.

4. Cascading transfers: Not present. The transfers are separated by many years. The first two are related to the original prosecution and an internal name change. The final transfer to the asserting entity is a single, direct transaction.

5. Pre-litigation transfer: Present. The assignment to Palisade Technologies, LLP was executed on August 14, 2024, and recorded on August 15, 2024 (Reel 067571/0724). The lawsuit against Micron was filed on October 16, 2024, just two months later. This timing strongly indicates the patent was acquired for the express purpose of litigation.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present. The assignor, SanDisk/Western Digital, is a large, solvent operating company.

7. Privateering: Unclear. While the patent originated with a major operating company (SanDisk/Western Digital) and was transferred to an entity that immediately asserted it against a competitor (Micron), there is no public evidence of a formal agreement or profit-sharing arrangement between Western Digital and Palisade Technologies. This pattern is suggestive of privateering, but without further information, it cannot be definitively confirmed.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not present. The patent is held by an entity actively engaged in litigation, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The patent was transferred from its original owner to Palisade Technologies, LLP, an entity formed just one month prior to the assignment (Reel 067571/0724). Palisade then filed an infringement suit two months after the transfer, demonstrating a clear pattern of acquiring a patent for the sole purpose of litigation. The combination of a shell-entity transfer and a pre-litigation transfer provides high confidence in classifying this as an NPE-controlled patent.

Verification Link: USPTO Patent Assignment Search for Pat. No. 9,281,314