Checksum Ventures LLC, one of several affiliated NPEs to assert former Nero AG patents this year, has added Dell (1:18-cv-06321) to its litigation campaign. The patent-in-suit generally relates to using checksums while storing data, with Dell accused of infringement through the provision of its EMC VNX Storage Systems, which Checksum Ventures alleges uses an SHA-1 hash value “for stored content on that storage system”. The prior four suits in this campaign have been voluntarily dismissed without prejudice, before the defendant has answered or otherwise responded, within weeks of each complaint’s filing.

A number of notable patent assignments have been recorded with the USPTO this month, including three involving former Nero AG patents, all transferred to recently formed NPEs. Also of note was an assignment to a new NPE with possible ties to IP Investments Group, LLC.