Assignment history

Inventors

• I-Lung Ho (Applied Optoelectronics Inc.)
• Stefan J. Murry (Applied Optoelectronics Inc.)
• Che-Shou (Richard) YEH (Applied Optoelectronics Inc.)

Original assignee

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. is the original assignee. They ship products embodying the claims, specifically multi-channel optical transceivers and components for fiber-optic communication. Their primary line of business is the design, manufacture, and marketing of fiber-optic access network products, including optical components, modules, and equipment. Applied Optoelectronics Inc. is currently an operating company.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Assignment Center (https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/) and Google Patents legal events provide the following assignment record for US Patent 9448367:

• 2017-09-28 (executed) / recorded 2017-09-29 — Reel 044061/0812

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
  • Assignee: BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY, TEXAS
  • Correspondent: R. Andrew Patty II, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701. This correspondent may recur in securitization contexts.
  • Context: Securitization (patent used as collateral for a loan)

• 2022-11-16 (executed) / recorded 2022-11-16 — Reel 061952/0344

  • Conveyance: Release by Secured Party
  • Assignor: TRUIST BANK (FORMERLY KNOWN AS BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY)
  • Assignee: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
  • Correspondent: R. Andrew Patty II, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701. This correspondent is a repeat player in this chain.
  • Context: Release of security interest (loan repaid or restructured)

• 2022-11-16 (executed) / recorded 2022-11-28 — Reel 062003/0523

  • Conveyance: Patent Security Agreement
  • Assignor: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
  • Assignee: CIT NORTHBRIDGE CREDIT LLC, NEW YORK
  • Correspondent: David C. Miller, Blank Rome LLP, One Logan Square, 130 N. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
  • Context: Securitization (new patent used as collateral for a loan)

• 2023-11-17 (executed) / recorded 2023-11-20 — Reel 065630/0906

  • Conveyance: Termination and Release of Security Interest in Patents
  • Assignor: CIT NORTHBRIDGE CREDIT LLC
  • Assignee: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
  • Correspondent: David C. Miller, Blank Rome LLP, One Logan Square, 130 N. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. This correspondent is a repeat player in this chain.
  • Context: Release of security interest (loan repaid or restructured)

• 2012-12-05 to 2012-12-10 (signing dates) / recorded 2024-11-12 — Reel 069236/0614

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: MURRY, STEFAN J.; YEH, RICHARD; HO, I-LUNG (Inventors)
  • Assignee: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
  • Correspondent: R. Andrew Patty II, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701. This correspondent is a repeat player in this chain.
  • Context: Formal recordation of original assignment from inventors to the initial assignee. This is often done later, sometimes in response to a diligence request or litigation.

• 2025-07-31 (executed) / recorded 2025-08-01 — Reel 072338/0695

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
  • Assignee: BOKF, NA D/B/A BOK FINANCIAL, COLORADO
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey M. Smith, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, 165 Madison Avenue, Suite 2000, Memphis, TN 38103.
  • Context: Securitization (new patent used as collateral for a loan)

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9448367
    2015 : Filed by Applied Optoelectronics Inc
    2016 : Issued
    2017 : Security interest to Branch Banking
    2022 : Release by Truist Bank
         : Security interest to CIT Northbridge
    2023 : Release by CIT Northbridge
    2024 : Inventors assign to Applied Opto
    2025 : Security interest to BOKF

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The assignees are financial institutions involved in securitization or the original operating company, Applied Optoelectronics Inc.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the named assignees appear on public NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. R. Andrew Patty II of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (later Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP) appears as correspondent for the 2017-09-29 security interest and the 2022-11-16 release, and again for the 2024-11-12 inventor assignment. David C. Miller of Blank Rome LLP also appears for both the 2022-11-28 security agreement and the 2023-11-20 release.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. The transfers primarily relate to security interests and their releases, not consecutive ownership changes.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While litigation has been filed (5:24-cv-08165, 4:24-cv-09041, 3:24-cv-09041, and 3:24-cv-08165), the specific filing dates of these suits are not precisely aligned with the transfers in a way that clearly indicates pre-litigation transfer for assertion purposes. The 2024-11-12 inventor assignment, although recorded late, relates to the initial ownership.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. Applied Optoelectronics Inc. is an active operating company.
7. Privateering — not present. No evidence suggests a transfer to an NPE asserting on behalf of Applied Optoelectronics Inc.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion
The assignment timeline clearly shows Applied Optoelectronics Inc. as the consistent owner, with intervening security interests from various financial institutions that were subsequently released. The late recording of the inventor assignment to Applied Optoelectronics Inc. in 2024 is a common practice and reinforces their original ownership. The company actively designs, manufactures, and sells products embodying the claims, indicating an operating company actively protecting its intellectual property.

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