Transmission Intercepted: Acacia’s Widespread Patent Litigation

An intellectual property holding company is attempting perhaps the most widespread patent licensing program ever, and any company with a Web site that streams stored audio or video may be contacted next about taking a license. Acacia Technologies Group (Acacia) owns several patents it claims broadly cover the transmission and receipt of video and audio content over the Internet and other media. Acacia reports that it has licensed over a hundred companies so far, including heavyweights such as Disney.

Not all companies who have been contacted by Acacia have acquiesced to its demands to take a license, however. Characterizing certain companies that stream video over the Internet as "low hanging fruit," Acacia sued several such companies in federal court in Orange County, California. Some cable companies have not waited for Acacia to file suit against them. On June 15, 2004, Comcast Cable Communications filed a declaratory judgment action against Acacia in Delaware, and on June 18,