Acacia announced yesterday that Hustler, Vivid Entertainment and Wicked Pictures have signed licensing agreements for Acacia's controversial Digital Media Technology (DMT) patents that pertain to accessing media on demand, which includes streaming video or audio online.
While the exact terms of the Hustler, Vivid and Wicked deals are unknown, originally Acacia Research Corp was seeking 0.75 percent of Webcasters' revenues as a licensing fee.
Acacia had recently changed the terms of their agreement, removing requirements that called for licensees to turn over customer names, and inserting a clause that states that if claims are found invalid or unenforceable, royalties or fees no longer have to be paid.
Acacia claims that their DMT patents encompass the transmission and receipt of digital audio and digital video content, supported by 5 U.S. and 17 international patents.
Several adult entertainment companies are challenging the strength of the patents in court.
