Wi-LAN Inc. (WiLAN) has announced a seismic restructuring of its business model, de-emphasizing patent licensing and refocusing on the acquisition of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) businesses. Monday’s announcement follows a year in which WiLAN actively acquired patent portfolios from operating companies, including Eastman Kodak, GlobalFoundries, and Panasonic, boosting its patent portfolio to over 11,000 assets. It also comes after several other public NPEs, including Acacia Research Corporation and Unwired Planet (now Great Elm Capital Corp.) have made similar moves to diversify their activities.

In the first half of May 2016, RPX saw nine patent transfers to NPEs recorded with the USPTO. At least three of those transactions involved patents that have already been asserted in litigation against operating companies.