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JMM · 07-08-2003, 01:13 PM

First, I am the CFO of the Internet Media Protective Association (IMPA). IMPA is a non-profit trade association that was established to address many issues related to our industry. Obviously, a primary focus for the industry today is the Acacia lawsuits. For those of you that wish to address the issue in the usual GFY style, I suggest you step back and start taking the issue very seriously; it is not something to be taken lightly.

The lawsuits, and the packets of information that were sent out are very real. Acacia, in my opinion, is a company that exists for the sole purpose of exploiting patents that they feel they own. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that I am. In the recent past, Acacia claimed to own patents relating to the "V-Chip" technology and sued 19 TV manufacturers. The courts disagreed with Acacia, and the patents were invalidated, but I believe that Acacia is currently appealing that decision. Acacia also claims to own several patents that it says apply to the streaming of video over the internet, and it sued several companies for infringing two of those patents. The defendants have answered that the patents are not infringed and are invalid. Thus, the defendants, some as a group and some individually, have decided to fight Acacia and prove that the patents are not infringed and are not valid.

If you are one of the named defendants, you already know the situation. If you are one of the companies or individuals that received the glossy packets from Acacia, your exposure is just as great. By sending the packets, Acacia has put you on notice that they believe you are infringing their patents. As such, if the defendants in the current lawsuits are unsuccesful, you may be subjected to claims by Acacia that you willfully infringed Acacia's patents, exposing you to the possibility of more severe damages. I am not a lawyer and am not giving legal advice; this is simply how I understand the law. You should seek competent advice from your own legal counsel.

The Acacia lawsuits demonstrate that our industry faces critical issues that can affect the livelihood of all of us. The IMPA was formed to give us a forum and voice to deal with these issues. Interested parties can apply to become a member of the IMPA or can make contributions to help the IMPA work for us. Your support is important. No single company can, or should, have to carry the entire burden of addressing issues that ultimately affect every single one of us, whether we understand that or not. IMPA will post information here, and on our website that will be up shortly at www.impai.org

Contributions or gifts to the IMPA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions.

In the meantime, I encourage everyone of you that has a concern about how they can help our industry to contact Spike at [email protected]

07-08-2003, 01:13 PM
JMM Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 1,755	Acacia - Impa - Important! First, I am the CFO of the Internet Media Protective Association (IMPA). IMPA is a non-profit trade association that was established to address many issues related to our industry. Obviously, a primary focus for the industry today is the Acacia lawsuits. For those of you that wish to address the issue in the usual GFY style, I suggest you step back and start taking the issue very seriously; it is not something to be taken lightly. The lawsuits, and the packets of information that were sent out are very real. Acacia, in my opinion, is a company that exists for the sole purpose of exploiting patents that they feel they own. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that I am. In the recent past, Acacia claimed to own patents relating to the "V-Chip" technology and sued 19 TV manufacturers. The courts disagreed with Acacia, and the patents were invalidated, but I believe that Acacia is currently appealing that decision. Acacia also claims to own several patents that it says apply to the streaming of video over the internet, and it sued several companies for infringing two of those patents. The defendants have answered that the patents are not infringed and are invalid. Thus, the defendants, some as a group and some individually, have decided to fight Acacia and prove that the patents are not infringed and are not valid. If you are one of the named defendants, you already know the situation. If you are one of the companies or individuals that received the glossy packets from Acacia, your exposure is just as great. By sending the packets, Acacia has put you on notice that they believe you are infringing their patents. As such, if the defendants in the current lawsuits are unsuccesful, you may be subjected to claims by Acacia that you willfully infringed Acacia's patents, exposing you to the possibility of more severe damages. I am not a lawyer and am not giving legal advice; this is simply how I understand the law. You should seek competent advice from your own legal counsel. The Acacia lawsuits demonstrate that our industry faces critical issues that can affect the livelihood of all of us. The IMPA was formed to give us a forum and voice to deal with these issues. Interested parties can apply to become a member of the IMPA or can make contributions to help the IMPA work for us. Your support is important. No single company can, or should, have to carry the entire burden of addressing issues that ultimately affect every single one of us, whether we understand that or not. IMPA will post information here, and on our website that will be up shortly at www.impai.org Contributions or gifts to the IMPA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. In the meantime, I encourage everyone of you that has a concern about how they can help our industry to contact Spike at [email protected]