Acacia Research Corp has upped its stake in Soundview Technologies Inc making it the majority owner with a 51.4% stake. Acacia has increased its original 16.4% stake purchased last March, in light of the imminent introduction of television rating systems in the US. Acacia, a seven person operation based in Pasadena, California, paid $4.2m for its additional 35% stake in Soundview’s outstanding stock, which consisted of 400,000 shares in Acacia common stock, $500,000 in cash and a $900,000 note. Soundview owns technology relating to the V-chip television device that enables viewers to block programs they believe to be inappropriate. The US is currently in the process of deciding on a television rating system, although there is some dispute as to whether it should be, as suggested by the entertainment industry, an age rated system, similar to film classifications, or a content based system that says whether the program contains bad language, violence or nudity. At the beginning of the year, Soundview demonstrated its V-Chip Converter censor, an external plug-in set-top-box device that responds to V-chip signals (CI No 3,082). Acacia says it will be available for use with some 200m television sets in the US that will otherwise be deaf to the V- chip signal, before new televisions are equipped with the technology. Acacia Research’s president and chief operating officer, Paul Ryan says, as far as he is aware there isn’t a similar product around, and he also believes it will be some seven or eight years before half of the televisions in the US contain V-chip technology. Acacia says the product will cost around $60.
