Varia Holdings LLC has filed its first litigation since 2012, accusing Apple (1:23-cv-07477) of infringing three patents through the implementation of RFID/NFC technology within the Apple Pay service and supporting devices (e.g., smartphones and smart watches). In the new complaint, filed in the Eastern District of New York, Varia Holdings pleads that its representatives met with Apple in March 2013 to “discuss Apple’s potential interest in utilizing Varia’s patented RFID/NFC technology”. Apple is alleged to have declined to license the technology because it “had no interest in using RFID technology and would not incorporate RFID/NFC technology into any of its products”.

Since late last year, RPX has flagged three batches of security agreements—each batch covering six different patent portfolios—all apparently involving the same third-party funder. Of the 18 funded patent portfolios, all but one has spawned new litigation campaigns, four having started last month. Meanwhile, public records provide hints as to the possible identity of the funder here—helpful hints, since the plaintiffs litigating in the Northern District of California or the District of New Jersey have apparently skirted, so far, respective disclosure requirements in those venues.

Throughout late 2021, RPX reported new litigation initiated by an apparently unrelated group of plaintiffs that had granted security interests in their portfolios to the same funder. Now, a second batch of security agreements, involving a different set of six patent holders, has been recorded with the USPTO—suggesting that a new wave of financed campaigns is coming. In fact, one of those campaigns began this week.

Last month, RPX noted the apparent movement of more patents originally developed years ago at Wildseed Ltd.—a “venture-funded mobile technology startup” acquired by AOL a decade before its own acquisition by Verizon—toward litigation. This week, the recipient, Wildseed Mobile LLC, has filed its first litigation, accusing Alphabet (Google; YouTube) (6:21-cv-01245) of infringing five of those patents through the provision of a wide range of products, targeting features including event recommendations, in-video advertisements, link sharing, and notifications.

Another plaintiff appears poised to litigate mobile device patents originally developed years ago at Wildseed Ltd., a “venture-funded mobile technology startup” acquired by AOL a decade before its own acquisition by Verizon. A November 2021 transfer of three such patents joins a half dozen patents moved into the hands of Wildseed Mobile LLC this past August. If the new owner does sue, it will join several other recent plaintiffs that, according to public records, have received funding from the same third party.