Assignment history

Inventors

• Frank C Hudetz (Neomedia Technologies Inc.)
• Peter R Hudetz (Neomedia Technologies Inc.)

Original assignee

Neomedia Technologies Inc. (originally NeoMedia Technologies, Inc.) was the entity named on the issued patent. NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. was a public company focused on mobile barcode and QR code solutions, including services for connecting consumers to digital content via physical objects. While the claims of US8131597 embody their core business, it's unclear if they shipped a physical product in the traditional sense, but rather offered services and software embodying the claims. The company appears to have undergone significant financial restructuring and has since been largely acquired or reorganized under different entities.

Assignment timeline

• 2014-01-23 (executed) / recorded 2014-01-23 — Reel 030616/0615
  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: NEOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: YA GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, L.P.
  • Correspondent: BAKER & MCKENZIE LLP, 300 E. RANDOLPH STREET, SUITE 5000, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS UNITED STATES 60601
  • Context: Securitization against financing.
• 2014-06-27 (executed) / recorded 2014-07-28 — Reel 031336/0401
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HUDETZ, FRANK C
  • Assignee: SOLAR COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
  • Correspondent: R. DAVID SADDLER, 1999 AVENUE OF THE STARS, SUITE 1100, LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES 90067. This correspondent does not appear elsewhere in this patent's chain, but the firm has handled other assignments for operating companies.
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to another entity.
• 2014-06-27 (executed) / recorded 2014-07-28 — Reel 031336/0401
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HUDETZ, PETER R
  • Assignee: SOLAR COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
  • Correspondent: R. DAVID SADDLER, 1999 AVENUE OF THE STARS, SUITE 1100, LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES 90067. This correspondent does not appear elsewhere in this patent's chain, but the firm has handled other assignments for operating companies.
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to another entity.
• 2014-06-27 (executed) / recorded 2014-07-28 — Reel 031336/0404
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SOLAR COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
  • Assignee: NEOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Correspondent: R. DAVID SADDLER, 1999 AVENUE OF THE STARS, SUITE 1100, LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES 90067. This correspondent does not appear elsewhere in this patent's chain, but the firm has handled other assignments for operating companies.
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest back to the original assignee.
• 2016-01-29 (executed) / recorded 2016-02-05 — Reel 035040/0173
  • Conveyance: Notice of Security Interest
  • Assignor: NEOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: YA GLOBALINVESTMENTS, L.P.
  • Correspondent: SHEPPARD, MULLIN, RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP, 333 SOUTH HOPE STREET, 43RD FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES 90071. This correspondent does not appear elsewhere in this patent's chain.
  • Context: Updated security interest filing.
• 2016-09-02 (executed) / recorded 2016-09-06 — Reel 037599/0952
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: NEOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: NM, LLC
  • Correspondent: BRUCE S. LISHER, 25520 ALISO VIEJO PKWY., SUITE 190, ALISO VIEJO, CA UNITED STATES 92656. This correspondent does not appear elsewhere in this patent's chain.
  • Context: Transfer to a new entity.
• 2017-01-24 (executed) / recorded 2017-02-01 — Reel 038612/0970
  • Conveyance: Release by Secured Party
  • Assignor: YA GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LP
  • Assignee: NEOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Correspondent: SHEPPARD, MULLIN, RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP, 333 SOUTH HOPE STREET, 43RD FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES 90071. This correspondent does not appear elsewhere in this patent's chain.
  • Context: Release of security interest.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US8131597
    2010 : Filed by Neomedia Technologies
    2012 : Issued
    2014 : Security interest YA Global
         : Inventors to Solar Communications
         : Solar to Neomedia Technologies
    2016 : Security interest YA Global updated
         : Assigned to NM LLC
    2017 : Security interest released

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.
   • Context: The assignment from NEOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. to NM, LLC on 2016-09-02 / recorded 2016-09-06 (Reel 037599/0952) is a strong signal. NM, LLC does not appear to be an operating company with products. Its name suggests a holding or licensing entity. The prior litigation activity by NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. (and likely by NM, LLC) also supports this.
2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. While NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. actively asserted the patent, it started as an operating company. NM, LLC, the current assignee, appears to be a licensing entity, but it is not explicitly listed on common public NPE lists (like Acacia Research Corp, Marathon Patent Group, etc.) based on available information. However, its litigation history is consistent with an NPE.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. No single correspondent attorney or firm appears on multiple unique assignment transactions in this specific chain. R. David Saddler appears for three closely related assignments on the same day in 2014 (Reel 031336/0401 and 031336/0404), but this represents a single transfer event involving the inventors, not recurring across disparate assignments.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there were multiple transactions in 2014, they represent the inventors transferring their rights to an intermediary who then transferred back to the original assignee, and a security agreement. This isn't a "cascading" transfer through multiple shell entities.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. The first reported litigation for US8131597 was in April 2012 (1:12-cv-00939). The first assignment in this chain (security agreement) was in January 2014 (Reel 030616/0615). The transfer to NM, LLC occurred in September 2016 (Reel 037599/0952), well after initial litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — unclear. While NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. experienced financial difficulties, the assignment records do not explicitly state a bankruptcy proceeding as the direct cause of the transfer to NM, LLC. Further investigation of SEC filings for NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. (e.g., 8-K, 10-K) around 2016 would be needed to confirm this.
7. Privateering — unclear. While NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. was an operating company that asserted the patent, the transfer to NM, LLC could represent a shift towards a pure licensing model. However, without more information about the relationship between NeoMedia and NM, LLC, it's difficult to definitively classify it as privateering.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain terminates with NM, LLC, which does not appear to be a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The transfer to NM, LLC, a likely shell entity, combined with the extensive pre-existing litigation history by the assignor (NeoMedia Technologies, Inc.), strongly suggests an NPE assertion pattern. The fact that the patent continued to be asserted after the expiration of the patent term (as noted in the Patent Term and Expiration section) further supports this. While there isn't a direct "known asserter" match, the behavior aligns with NPE activity.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US8131597: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/#!/assignment-result/search-detail?id=[9292817](/patent/9292817)&type=patNum