Last week, RPX raised the possibility of IP Edge LLC’s practices—specifically, the naming of Texas residents with seemingly no discernible connections to patent monetization as managers or managing members of most of its LLCs—sliding under the judicial microscope. On September 12, District of Delaware Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly ordered a handful of such individuals to appear, in person, at evidentiary hearings to determine whether a group of apparent IP Edge plaintiffs has complied with his standing order regarding the disclosure of any third-party litigation funding. A similar order has been issued in multiple cases associated with Dynamic IP Deals, LLC (d/b/a DynaIP), Judge Connolly setting an October hearing to determine the accuracy of those plaintiffs’ amended corporate disclosure statements. Perhaps unsurprisingly, voluntary dismissals have been noticed across these cases, ending the court’s jurisdiction over the matters.

Evidence of IP Edge LLC’s frequent practice of naming individuals—seemingly with no discernible connections to patent monetization—as managers or managing members of its various LLCs has long been reported by RPX. Now, with Amazon having recently brought that practice to the attention of Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly, and with a raft of amended disclosures filed on the same day last week by a handful of apparent IP Edge plaintiffs litigating before that same judge, the coming months may see the full extent of that setup, and its bearing on standing, come to light.

As IP Edge LLC continues its usual month-end onslaught of new filings—including a handful involving a former Panasonic patent, and nine more over former ZTE patents—USPTO records suggest that the monetization firm has several patent portfolios lined up for future assertion. Meanwhile, other IP Edge moves indicate that the firm’s monetization strategies may continue to evolve beyond short-lived cases filed and dismissed in bulk.

Public records reflect a rash of NPE creation in recent months, including by some of the most active patent monetizers in the IP space today. If past practices are precedent, patent assignments to these recently formed NPEs are likely in the pipeline—followed by the launch of new litigation campaigns later this year.

As extensively reported by RPX, the acquisition and assertion of operating company patents by NPEs remained a significant driver of litigation throughout 2020. Be prepared for this long-term trend to possibly accelerate as a result of the COVID-19 recession. If past is prologue, the current financial crisis will likely be followed by years of increased patent divestments by operating companies—including to NPEs.

Recently released USPTO records indicate that in July, the monetization firm IP Edge LLC acquired over 700 US assets, and many more foreign assets, from Technicolor SA, a provider of services and products for the communication, media, and entertainment industries. The large acquisition brings IP Edge’s US patent holdings close to 1,500, including assets received earlier this year from Beamz Interactive, Allied Inventors Management, LLC, Ghost Telecom Limited, Huawei, and a litigating subsidiary of IPValue Management (d/b/a IPValue). Meanwhile, the prolific NPE continues to file patent cases in droves, with various affiliated plaintiffs collectively bringing more than 320 new suits since the start of this year.