| Mr.Fiction |
10-27-2003 03:36 PM |
The Acacia strategy explained in the article linked above:
Acacia also decided that alleged infringers would sign up more quickly if it looked as if everyone else were jumping on the bandwagon. Ryan launched a rollout plan that involved convincing a host of smaller firms to sign up, and the subsequent publicizing of those signings in order to create a sense of momentum for Acacia's claims. "The likelihood of people licensing the technology increases with the number of people who have already licensed it," explains Acacia's patent attorney, Roderick Dorman of Hennigan, Bennett, Dorman LLP in Los Angeles. As a side benefit, a flood of licensees would create positive publicity that might boost the price of Acacia's stock.
Ryan initially targeted three markets: Internet radio, online adult entertainment and on-demand hotel movies. All three of these markets share a similar characteristic?the lack of a dominant player who might be tempted to fight Acacia's claims. By selecting fragmented markets rather than going after big players like MSN or AOL, Acacia hoped to avoid getting embroiled in a debilitating legal battle. "My approach is to get some deals done and get some goodwill," says Rob Berman, Acacia's senior vp of business development. "I don't want to end up in the bowels of legal hell."
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