Acacia Research Corp. has acquired LodgeNet's patent pertaining to communicating messages from user machines to a global computer network, also known as redirection of users to login pages for Net access.
Acacia said in a July 21 announcement that the newly-acquired patent's licensing potential includes DSL registrations, wireless hotspots, and hotel high-speed Internet access. And Acacia – now embroiled in a court battle over its streaming media patent group, Digital Media Transmission – promised to start a "licensing and enforcement program" for the redirection patent during the third quarter of 2004.
The company said, however, that it will be separate from its DMT enforcement efforts.
"We previously announced our intent to acquire additional patented technologies," said Acacia chief executive Paul Ryan announcing the redirection patent acquisition. "Our goal is to expand revenue generating opportunities by leveraging the expertise of our in-house engineering and licensing teams."
“Our technology development group has created significant intellectual property over the years,” said LodgeNet chief executive Scott C. Petersen about the Acacia relationship. "We believe this relationship with Acacia will allow our company to financially benefit from that technology beyond the scope of our core business."
Acacia executive vice president Robert Berman was not available for comment before this story went to press. But New Destiny/Homegrown Video chief Spike Goldberg, who co-leads the adult Internet's challenge to the DMT patents with VS Media chief Greg Clayman, said the Acacia/LodgeNet deal means what he consider's Acacia's "reign of legal extortion" continues.
"This is just another example of a company that does not develop technology, it just buys, sells, and tries to litigate," Goldberg said when learning of the Acacia/LodgeNet deal. "It's truly a sad commentary on society that these guys can continue to do this, and the headache that [our] industry's had to put up with may become somebody else's headache over this other patent."
