LakeSouth Holdings LLC has filed suit against three retailers—Ace Hardware (3:18-cv-00107), Amazon (3:18-cv-00104), and Costco (3:18-cv-00105)—over the sale of certain solar-powered lighted umbrellas. LakeSouth holds roughly five dozen patents, most originally developed by World Factory and generally related to solar-powered devices (e.g., thermometers, clocks, lights, umbrellas, etc.), two of which are asserted in these latest complaints. The NPE identifies multiple licensed manufacturers of solar-powered lighted umbrellas, restricting its infringement allegations to the alleged sale by Ace, Amazon, or Costco of such devices made by unlicensed providers.

In the second half of June 2016, RPX saw over 20 patent transfers to NPEs recorded with the USPTO. A number of those transactions involved patents that have been asserted in litigation against operating companies—some as recently as this past week.