Assignment history

Inventors

• Lawrence Demonico (employer at time of filing not determinable)

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent US11346627 is ABC IP LLC.
It is unclear if ABC IP LLC ships products embodying the claims. While they are actively involved in patent litigation concerning firearm trigger mechanisms, suggesting a connection to the firearms industry, their primary line of business appears to involve patent monetization and assertion rather than manufacturing and sales of physical products. Several sources indicate that ABC IP LLC is a co-plaintiff with Rare Breed Triggers, Inc. in patent infringement lawsuits regarding firearm trigger systems. However, some sources also suggest Rare Breed Triggers is an owner (in part) of ABC IP LLC, and accuse ABC IP LLC of engaging in "lawfare" against small businesses in the firearms community.
ABC IP LLC appears to be an active entity.

Assignment timeline

• 2022-02-08 (executed) / recorded 2022-02-08 — Reel 059030/0173
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: DEMONICO, LAWRENCE
  • Assignee: ABC IP, LLC
  • Correspondent: GORDON E. NELSON, P.A. (This firm has appeared as correspondent on other patent assignments, indicating a potential repeat-player.)
  • Context: Original assignment from inventor to initial assignee.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US11346627
    2022 : Filed by Lawrence Demonico
         : Assigned to ABC IP LLC
    2022 : Issued to ABC IP LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The patent was assigned to "ABC IP, LLC," which includes "IP" in its name, commonly associated with licensing-only or holding companies. Furthermore, several sources describe ABC IP LLC as an entity involved in patent litigation and assertion, particularly as a co-plaintiff with Rare Breed Triggers, Inc., targeting competitors in the forced reset trigger market. There are also allegations that Rare Breed Triggers is an owner (in part) of ABC IP LLC and uses it for "lawfare" against small businesses. This suggests ABC IP LLC may primarily exist for patent monetization rather than product sales.
2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. ABC IP LLC is described as actively engaged in patent litigation as a plaintiff. While not explicitly listed on public NPE lists like those maintained by Unified Patents or RPX, its litigation behavior strongly aligns with that of an NPE. However, without a definitive listing, it's categorized as unclear.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. GORDON E. NELSON, P.A. is listed as the correspondent for the assignment recorded on 2022-02-08 (Reel 059030/0173). This same correspondent has been observed in other patent assignments, suggesting they may handle recordings for a given NPE family.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. There is only one recorded assignment in the chain, from the inventor to ABC IP LLC.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The patent was issued on May 31, 2022. While ABC IP LLC has been involved in litigation regarding similar trigger mechanisms, the specific timing of the first infringement suit naming this particular patent in relation to the initial assignment (February 8, 2022) is not explicitly detailed in the provided information.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy for the original assignee or inventor.
7. Privateering — present. There are indications that Rare Breed Triggers, an operating company, is an owner (in part) of ABC IP LLC and that ABC IP LLC is asserting patents on Rare Breed Triggers' behalf against competitors. This suggests a privateering arrangement where an operating company uses an NPE (ABC IP LLC) for patent assertion.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain terminates with ABC IP LLC, which is actively asserting patents, not acting as a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of multiple strong signals supports this verdict. The transfer to "ABC IP, LLC" (a shell-entity name), coupled with strong indications of privateering where an operating company (Rare Breed Triggers) appears to be utilizing ABC IP LLC for patent assertion against competitors, are key indicators. Additionally, the recurrence of the same correspondent attorney suggests a coordinated strategy. The active litigation history of ABC IP LLC further reinforces its role as a non-practicing entity.

USPTO Assignment Center search page: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/