[opendtv] Internet Patent Claims Stir Concern
- From: Monty Solomon <monty@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: undisclosed-recipient: ;
- Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 00:47:12 -0400
PATENTS
Internet Patent Claims Stir Concern
By TERESA RIORDAN
August 16, 2004
IMAGINE being able to set up a tollbooth on the Internet. Now imagine
collecting a small fee every time anyone in the United States clicked
on the Web to watch a video of a car advertisement, to listen to an
audio clip of a garage band or to review an updated credit card
statement.
Sound far-fetched? Acacia Research Corporation, an obscure but
well-financed company in Newport Beach, Calif., has a portfolio of
patents that, it claims, allows it to do exactly that.
Acacia holds five patents covering streaming video and audio. The
earliest one, numbered 5,132,992, was issued in 1992.
In 2002, the company began sending out letters demanding licensing
fees, largely from the lucrative online pornography industry. But of
late, it has stepped up pressure on financial and educational
institutions and news organizations, including The New York Times
Company, which has received a letter from Acacia relating to its
corporate Web site. In June, Acacia sued nine cable and satellite
companies, including Comcast, DirecTV and EchoStar Communications. In
late July, it sent out more letters demanding licensing fees from
educational organizations that offer Web-based classes.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/technology/16patent.html
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