Acacia Research Affiliate Soundview Technologies Files Lawsuit

7-Apr-00

Acacia Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ACRI) announced that affiliate Soundview Technologies Incorporated has filed a federal patent and antitrust lawsuit against Sony Corporation of America, Philips Electronics North America Corporation, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association, and the Consumer Electronics Association. Soundview filed the lawsuit on April 5, 2000, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The suit involves Soundview's United States Patent No. 4,554,584, which relates to television video and audio blanking technology, commonly known as ""V-chip"" technology. Soundview's patent was issued in 1985 and completed a reexamination by the US Patent and Trademark Office in April 1998. In its lawsuit, Soundview alleges that Sony and Philips television sets fitted with ""V-chips"" infringe Soundview's patent. Additionally, Soundview alleges that the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association has induced infringement of the patent and that the defendants have violated the federal Clayton and Sherman Antitrust Acts by engaging in collusive attempts to prevent others in the electronics and television broadcasting industry from entering into license agreements with Soundview. Soundview is seeking monetary damages, an injunction preventing unlicensed use of its patented technology, and other remedies. Having just been filed, the lawsuit is at a preliminary stage, and its ultimate outcome cannot presently be determined. Soundview's counsel in the lawsuit has been retained on a contingency fee basis.Acacia Research owns 66.7 percent of Soundview.About Soundview Technologies IncorporatedSoundview has acquired and is developing intellectual property in the telecommunications field, including audio and video blanking systems, also known as V-chip technology. Soundview owns the exclusive right and title to US Patent No. 4,554,584, which describes a method for implementing the V-chip system in parallel with the existing closed-captioning circuits already in place in televisions. The FCC adopted this method as the technical standard for new televisions sold in the United States that will be required to have V-chip technology.About Acacia Research CorporationAcacia Research develops and operates Internet and technology-related businesses as well as acquires strategic positions in other companies. Acacia Research's majority-owned subsidiaries include: Acacia Launchpad LLC (Internet incubator), CombiMatrix Corporation (biochip technology), MerkWerks Corporation (software development), Soundbreak.com Incorporated (music broadcast and lifestyle Internet site), and Soundview Technologies, Inc. (V-chip technology). Significant minority-owned affiliates include: The EC Company (b2b eTransactions), Greenwich Information Technologies LLC (video-and audio-on-demand technology), Mediaconnex Communications (b2b e-commerce), and Signature-mail (personalized e-mail service). Acacia Research's Web site is located at http://www.acaciaresearch.com.

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