The NYTimes is reporting that Acacia has made moves to expand enforcement of its patents that reportedly cover streaming video technology. (See, for example, U.S. Patent 5,132,992).
Newport Beach, Calif.-based Acacia Media Technologies Corp. has sent letters to dozens of colleges in recent days claiming the schools’ use of streaming video in areas like distance learning and video lectures violates company patents. The message: pay up, or risk getting sued.
Acacia has already sued several cable and satellite providers for infringement of the same patents. In response the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has vowed to “bust” Acacia’s patents in its Patent Busting Project.