Assignment history

Inventors

• Erik R. Swenson: Employer not explicitly stated in the patent document.
• Jaime Heilpern: Employer not explicitly stated in the patent document.
• Sandeep Pombra: Employer not explicitly stated in the patent document.
• Ron Earley: Employer not explicitly stated in the patent document.
• Vadim Arshanskiy: Employer not explicitly stated in the patent document.

The patent document does not explicitly state the employers of the inventors at the time of filing. The original assignee was Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent was Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd.

Based on the patent description, Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd appears to be involved in providing network efficiency solutions, specifically "a world-class media optimization solution that brings a surgical capacity advantage to wireless operators as well as Internet service providers." This suggests they were an operating company focused on network optimization and media delivery, shipping products embodying the claims related to video optimization and caching.

As of today's date, the current status of Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd as an operating entity is not immediately determinable from the patent text or general knowledge without further specific corporate searches. However, the patent's ownership has changed multiple times, indicating it is no longer the current owner.

Assignment timeline

The following assignment timeline is reconstructed from the USPTO Assignment Search database for Patent Number 9,800,633.

• 2016-10-26 (executed) / recorded 2016-10-26 — Reel 038237/0400

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SKYFIRE LABS, INC.
  • Assignee: OPERA SOFTWARE IRELAND LIMITED
  • Correspondent: BIANCA K. CHOY, FENWICK & WEST LLP, 801 CALIFORNIA STREET, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES 94041. This correspondent firm also appears in other recorded assignments.
  • Context: Transfer of inventors' interest to Skyfire Labs, Inc., then to Opera Software Ireland Limited. This appears to be part of an acquisition where Skyfire Labs was acquired by Opera.

• 2016-10-26 (executed) / recorded 2016-10-26 — Reel 038237/0399

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: EARLEY, Ron, HEILPERN, JAIME, POMBRA, SANDEEP, SWENSON, ERIK R., ARSHANSKIY, Vadim
  • Assignee: SKYFIRE LABS, INC.
  • Correspondent: BIANCA K. CHOY, FENWICK & WEST LLP, 801 CALIFORNIA STREET, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES 94041. This correspondent firm also appears in other recorded assignments.
  • Context: Assignment of patent rights from the individual inventors to Skyfire Labs, Inc., likely an employment assignment.

• 2017-03-23 (executed) / recorded 2017-03-23 — Reel 039474/0209

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: OPERA SOFTWARE IRELAND LTD.
  • Assignee: PERFORMANCE AND PRIVACY IRELAND LTD.
  • Correspondent: BIANCA K. CHOY, FENWICK & WEST LLP, 801 CALIFORNIA STREET, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES 94041. This correspondent firm also appears in other recorded assignments.
  • Context: Transfer back to Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd. This could be part of a corporate restructuring or divestiture.

• 2023-03-29 (executed) / recorded 2023-03-29 — Reel 055276/0122

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Performance and Privacy Ireland Limited
  • Assignee: OTELLO CORPORATION ASA
  • Correspondent: GULKO, ARAM, PERKINS COIE LLP, 1201 THIRD AVENUE, SUITE 4900, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON UNITED STATES 98101-3099.
  • Context: Acquisition of assets or corporate restructuring. Otello Corporation ASA is the former Opera Software ASA.

• 2025-05-04 (executed) / recorded 2025-05-04 — Reel 059902/0833

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: OTELLO CORPORATION ASA
  • Assignee: TIR TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
  • Correspondent: ANNE J. BRUNO, BRUNO PATENT LAW, LLC, 203 SOUTH MAIN STREET, SUITE 1600, AKRON, OHIO UNITED STATES 44308.
  • Context: Divestiture or sale of intellectual property from Otello Corporation ASA to Tir Technologies Limited. This transfer is reported to be an acquisition of a portfolio by TIR Technologies Limited from Otello Corp. ASA.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9800633
    2015 : Application filed by Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd
    2016 : Inventors assign to Skyfire Labs
         : Skyfire Labs assigns to Opera Software Ireland Ltd
    2017 : Opera Software Ireland Ltd to Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd
         : Patent Issued
    2023 : Performance & Privacy Ireland Ltd assigns to Otello Corp ASA
    2025 : Otello Corp ASA assigns to Tir Technologies Ltd
         : IPR2026-00346 filed by Meta Platforms Inc

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present.

   • Tir Technologies Limited: Formed October 18, 2023. Its primary activity is listed as " Other Business Support Service Activities N.E.C.". This broad category, coupled with the immediate assertion of patents after acquisition, aligns with a shell entity for patent licensing. RPX has identified Tir Technologies Limited as an NPE and an entity of Atlantic IP Services Limited.
   • Performance And Privacy Ireland Limited: While an original assignee, it was dissolved on September 22, 2024. The patent transferred from it in 2023, prior to its dissolution. This suggests the patents were divested before the operating company ceased operations.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present.

   • Tir Technologies Limited: Identified as an NPE and an entity of Atlantic IP Services Limited, which is known for patent assertion campaigns. Tir Technologies has already sued Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Comcast Cable Communications over this and related patents. The litigation summary provided earlier also shows cases filed in Texas Western and Delaware District Courts in 2025 and 2026, which aligns with NPE assertion activity.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present.

   • Bianca K. Choy, Fenwick & West LLP: Appears on three consecutive assignments: Reel 038237/0399 (Inventors to Skyfire Labs), Reel 038237/0400 (Skyfire Labs to Opera Software Ireland Limited), and Reel 039474/0209 (Opera Software Ireland Ltd. to Performance And Privacy Ireland Ltd.). This indicates a consistent legal representation during a period of corporate transfers.

4. Cascading transfers — Present.

   • The patent was transferred from Inventors to Skyfire Labs, then immediately to Opera Software Ireland Limited on the same day (2016-10-26, Reel 038237/0399 and 038237/0400). This rapid succession of transfers (within hours or minutes, given the same recording date and sequential reel/frame numbers) indicates a pre-arranged corporate transfer, likely part of an acquisition.
   • The transfer from Otello Corporation ASA to Tir Technologies Limited (2025-05-04, Reel 059902/0833) also fits this, as Tir Technologies immediately began asserting the patent.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present.

   • The assignment to Tir Technologies Limited was recorded on 2025-05-04 (Reel 059902/0833). Litigation cases involving US 9,800,633 were filed in Texas Western District Court (1:25-cv-00865) and Delaware District Court (1:25-cv-00885) in 2025. RPX reported that Tir Technologies sued Amazon in May 2025, shortly after acquiring the patents. This places the transfer within months (and potentially weeks) of the first known infringement suit, strongly indicating it was arranged to enable assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No evidence of bankruptcy proceedings for any assignor in the chain was found.

7. Privateering — Unclear. While Otello Corporation ASA (formerly Opera Software ASA) sold the patent to an NPE (Tir Technologies Limited), there is no explicit evidence that Otello Corporation ASA is funding or directing Tir Technologies Limited to assert the patent against Otello's competitors. Otello Corporation ASA's focus is on mobile media and entertainment through its subsidiary Bemobi.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain ends with Tir Technologies Limited, which is an identified NPE.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is justified by multiple strong signals. Tir Technologies Limited, the current assignee (recorded 2025-05-04, Reel 059902/0833), is identified as a known NPE and an entity of Atlantic IP Services Limited, and has commenced litigation with this patent shortly after its acquisition. The rapid "cascading transfers" from the inventors to Skyfire Labs then to Opera Software Ireland Limited on the same day in 2016 (Reel 038237/0399, Reel 038237/0400) and the "pre-litigation transfer" to Tir Technologies Limited in 2025 just before lawsuit filings strongly indicate a strategy designed for patent assertion.

USPTO Assignment Center Search for US9800633