RPX took notice, among the USPTO assignment records made available during the latter half of April, of the transfer of patents to a number of frequent plaintiffs in patent litigation, including BlackBird Tech LLC; Intellectual Ventures LLC; IP Valuation Partners LLC; Unwired Planet International Limited, and Wi-LAN Inc. Assignors included Cypress Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductors, Panasonic, ROY-G-BIV, Samsung, and Sharp.

RPX took note of several patent asset transfers to NPEs recorded during the second half of December 2016. Assignees included Texas NPE Synergy Drone LLC, Nevada NPE Jonker LLC, and Delaware NPE Empire Technology Development LLC, and the named inventors on the different patent assets form an eclectic bunch.

District Judge Rodney Gilstrap has issued summary judgments of non-infringement in the numerous suits filed by Iris Connex, LLC, finding that the mobile device makers targeted by the plaintiff—including Apple, Dell, Huawei, LG Electronics (LGE), Microsoft, and Samsung—have not infringed a single patent (6,177,950) generally related to a portable phone with a multi-position and multi-function camera. Iris Connex, a Texas-based NPE managed by attorney Nicolas J. Labbit, had argued that the ‘950 patent should be read to include a “unified” camera system with front and rear cameras, as found in the accused smartphones and tablets. However, in multiple, identical orders issued on September 2, Judge Gilstrap ruled that the defendants have not infringed after holding that the ‘950 patent required a single, multi-position camera.