As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 24, 2011

Registration No. 333-      

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

500 Newport Center Drive, 7th Floor
Newport Beach, California 92660
(949) 480-8300
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Paul R. Ryan
Chief Executive Officer
500 Newport Center Drive, 7th Floor
Newport Beach, California 92660
(949) 480-8300
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copy to:

 

Mark L. Skaist, Esq.
Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth
660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1600
Newport Beach, California 92660
(949) 725-4000

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  o

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  þ

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  þ

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

Acacia Research Corporation

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

We may offer and sell, from time to time, common stock at prices and on terms that will be determined at the time of any such offering. The common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus may be sold at prevailing market prices or at prices different than prevailing market prices. We may offer and sell common stock to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, on a delayed or continuous basis. The prospectus supplement for each offering will provide the specific terms of the plan of distribution for that offering.

 

 

Each time our common stock is offered under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing more specific information about the particular offering. The prospectus supplements may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, together with the information we incorporate by reference, before you invest in our common stock. This prospectus may not be used to sell our common stock unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus.

 

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ACTG.”

 

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” on page 3 herein and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated by reference herein, updated and supplemented by our periodic reports and other information filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission and incorporated by reference herein. The prospectus supplement applicable to the securities we offer may contain a discussion of additional risks applicable to an investment in us and the particular type of securities we are offering under that prospectus supplement.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is March 24, 2011.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Commission, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and/or sell the securities referenced in this prospectus in one or more offerings or resales. Each time securities are offered, we will provide a prospectus supplement and attach it to this prospectus. We may also provide you a free writing prospectus at the time our securities are offered. The prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus will contain more specific information about the offering. The prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”

 

We have filed or incorporated by reference exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should read the exhibits carefully for provisions that may be important to you. Any statement made in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract, agreement or other document is only a summary of the actual document. You may obtain a copy of any document summarized in this prospectus at no cost by writing to or telephoning us at the address and telephone number given below. Each statement regarding a contract, agreement or other document is qualified in its entirety by reference to the actual document. See “Where You Can Find More Information” below.

 

We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus may be used only where it is legal to sell these securities. This prospectus is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, in any state where the offer or sale is prohibited. The information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any document incorporated herein or therein by reference is accurate as of the date contained on the cover of such documents. Neither the delivery of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, nor any sale made under this prospectus or any prospectus supplement will, under any circumstances, imply that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is correct as of any date after the date of this prospectus or any such prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

This summary description of us and our business highlights selected information about us contained elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated herein by reference. This summary may not contain all of the information about us that you should consider before buying securities in this offering. You should carefully read this entire prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including each of the documents incorporated herein by reference, before making an investment decision. As used herein, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Acacia Research Corporation and/or its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries.

 

Our Business

 

Our operating subsidiaries acquire, develop, license and enforce patented technologies. Our operating subsidiaries generate revenues and related cash flows from the granting of intellectual property rights for the use of patented technologies that our operating subsidiaries own or control. Our operating subsidiaries assist patent owners with the prosecution and development of their patent portfolios, the protection of their patented inventions from unauthorized use, the generation of licensing revenue from users of their patented technologies and, if necessary, with the enforcement

against unauthorized users of their patented technologies. As of December 31, 2010, on a consolidated basis, our operating subsidiaries owned or controlled the rights to over 171 patent portfolios, with future patent expiration dates ranging from 2011 to 2029, and covering technologies used in a wide variety of industries.

 

We are a leader in patent licensing and our operating subsidiaries have established a proven track record of licensing success with more than 960 license agreements executed to date. To date, on a consolidated basis, we have generated revenues from 91 of our technology licensing and enforcement programs. Our professional staff includes in-house patent attorneys, licensing executives, engineers and business development executives.

 

Our partners include individual inventors and small technology companies who have limited resources and/or expertise to effectively address the unauthorized use of their patented technologies, and also include research laboratories, universities, and large companies seeking to effectively and efficiently monetize their portfolio of patented technologies. In a typical partnering arrangement, our operating subsidiary will acquire a patent portfolio or acquire rights to a patent portfolio, and in exchange, our partner receives (i) an upfront payment for the purchase of the patent portfolio or patent portfolio rights, (ii) a percentage of our operating subsidiary’s net recoveries from the licensing and enforcement of the patent portfolio, or (iii) a combination of the two.

 

Under U.S. law, an inventor or patent owner has the right for a period of time to exclude others from making, selling or using their patented invention. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, infringers are generally unwilling, at least initially, to negotiate or pay reasonable royalties for their unauthorized use of third-party patents and will typically resist any allegations of patent infringement. Inventors and/or patent holders without sufficient legal, financial and/or expert technical resources to bring and continue the pursuit of a legal action may lack credibility in dealing with unwilling licensees, and as a result, are often blatantly ignored.

 

As a result of the common reluctance of patent infringers to negotiate and ultimately take a patent license for the use of third-party patented technologies without at least the threat of legal action, patent licensing and enforcement often begins with the filing of patent enforcement litigation. However, the majority of patent infringement contentions settle out of court, based on the strength of the patent claims, evidence of validity, and persuasive evidence and degree of clarity that the patent is being infringed.

 

We execute patent licensing and intellectual property rights arrangements with users of our patented technologies through willing negotiations without the filing of patent infringement litigation, or through the negotiation of a patent license, intellectual property rights and settlement arrangements in connection with the filing of patent infringement litigation.

 

Our Corporate Information

 

We were originally incorporated in California in January 1993 and reincorporated in Delaware in December 1999. Our website address is www.acaciaresearch.com. The information contained in or accessible through our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider it a part of this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. Our main offices are located at 500 Newport Center Drive, 7th Floor, Newport Beach, California 92660, and our telephone number is (949) 480-8300.

 

Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, or any updates in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, together with all of the other information appearing in this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, in light of your particular investment objectives and financial circumstances. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

 

This prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectuses and the documents incorporated by reference herein include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. You can generally identify forward-looking statements as statements containing the words “believe,” “expect,” “will,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “assume” or other similar expressions, or negatives of those expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectuses regarding our future strategy, future operations, projected financial position, estimated future revenues, projected costs, future prospects, the future of our industries and results that might be obtained by pursuing management’s current plans and objectives are forward-looking statements.

 

You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our forward-looking statements are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date on the cover of this prospectus, the date of any prospectus supplement, the date of any related free writing prospectus or, in the case of forward-looking statements incorporated by reference, as of the date of the filing that includes the statement. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these matters or how they may affect us. Over time, our actual results, performance or achievements will likely differ from the anticipated results, performance or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such difference might be significant and materially adverse to our security holders. We do not undertake and specifically decline any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any statements to reflect new information or future events or developments.

 

We have identified some of the important factors that could cause future events to differ from our current expectations and they are described in this prospectus and supplements to this prospectus under the caption “Risk Factors” as well as in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including, without limitation, under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in other documents that we may file with the SEC, all of which you should review carefully. Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of those risks as you read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectuses.

 

We will retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of any of the common stock offered under this prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated in any applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectuses in connection with a specific offering, we intend to use any net proceeds from the sale of such common stock for our operations and for other general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, working capital, strategic acquisitions and other transactions. Pending our use of the net proceeds as described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.

 

General

 

Our authorized capital stock consists of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of December 31, 2010, there were 36,029,068 shares of our common stock outstanding and no shares of our preferred stock outstanding.

 

The following description of our common stock, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplements or related free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms of our common stock, but it is not complete. For the complete terms of our common stock, please refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, as amended, that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement which includes this prospectus.

 

Common Stock

 

Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock may elect all of the directors standing for election. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by our board of directors. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably our net assets available for distribution after the payment of all debts and other liabilities, subject to any prior rights of any outstanding preferred stock. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We have not declared any cash dividends on our common stock and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “ACTG”. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions

 

As a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which restricts our ability to enter into business combinations with an interested stockholder or a stockholder owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, or that stockholder’s affiliates or associates, for a period of three years. These restrictions do not apply if:

 

 

Each of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, as amended, also include a number of other provisions that may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying or preventing changes in control or our management. First, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide for a classified board of directors comprised of three classes of directors with each class serving a staggered three-year term. Under Delaware law, directors of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our amended and restated certificate of corporation does not provide otherwise. Second, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation gives our board of directors the authority to issue preferred stock, which could potentially be used to discourage attempts by third parties to obtain control of us through a merger, tender offer, proxy or consent solicitation or otherwise, by making those attempts more difficult to achieve or more costly. Third, our amended and restated bylaws, as amended, provide that such bylaws may only be amended by our board of directors or by the holders of 662/3%, or a super-majority, of the outstanding shares of our common stock, which makes it more difficult for our stockholders to amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws, as amended. Fourth, our amended and restated bylaws, as amended, provide that special meetings of our stockholders may only be called by our board of directors, the chairman of our board of directors or our chief executive officer and may not be called by any other person or persons, thus making it more difficult for our stockholders to wage a proxy contest for control of our board of directors or to vote to repeal any of the anti-takeover provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, as amended.

 

We may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to sell our securities from time to time as follows:

 

 

Each prospectus supplement relating to an offering of securities will set forth the specific plan of distribution and state the terms of the offering, including:

 

 

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Professional Corporation.

 

The consolidated financial statements of Acacia Research Corporation and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the Commission with respect to the common stock covered by this prospectus. This prospectus does not include all of the information contained in the registration statement. You should refer to the registration statement and its exhibits for additional information. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are not necessarily complete and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and in accordance therewith file periodic reports, current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Commission. You may read and copy any document we file at the Commission’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC toll free at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information about its public reference room. The Commission maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission, where our Commission filings are also available. The address of the Commission’s website is www.sec.gov. The information is also available on our website at www. acaciaresearch.com. Information contained in or accessible through our website does not constitute part of this prospectus.

 

The Commission allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the Commission prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the Commission will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this registration statement and prospectus the documents listed below, and any future filings we make with the Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of the offering of common stock covered by this prospectus, except for information

furnished under any item of Form 8-K, which is neither deemed filed nor incorporated by reference herein:

 

 

You may request a copy of these filings (other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing) at no cost, by writing to us at the following address: Acacia Research Corporation, 500 Newport Center Drive, 7th Floor, Newport Beach, California 92660, Attention: Investor Relations, or by telephoning us at the following telephone number: (949) 480-8300.

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

 

The following table sets forth the various costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by the registrant in connection with the offering of our securities being registered. Except for the Commission registration fee, all the amounts shown are estimates.

 

 

 

 

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation, or a derivative action), if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful.

 

A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification that may be granted by a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws, disinterested director vote, stockholder vote, agreement or otherwise.

 

As permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, Article VII of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides:

 

“No person shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, including without limitation for serving on a committee of the Board of Directors, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. If the DGCL is amended after the date of the filing of this Certificate of Incorporation to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VII shall not adversely affect any right or

protection of a director of the Corporation existing hereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal or modification.”

 

We have purchased insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of our company, or is or was serving at the request of our company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not our company would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended.

 

Any underwriting agreements that we may enter into will likely provide for the indemnification of us, our controlling persons, our directors and certain of our officers by the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

 

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

 

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes (1) to use its best efforts to distribute prior to the opening of bids, to prospective bidders, underwriters, and dealers, a reasonable number of copies of a prospectus which at that time meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the Securities Act, and relating to the securities offered at competitive bidding, as contained in the registration statement, together with any supplements thereto, and (2) to file an amendment to the registration statement reflecting the results of bidding, the terms of the reoffering and related matters to the extent required by the applicable form, not later than the first use, authorized by the issuer after the opening of bids, of a prospectus relating to the securities offered at competitive bidding, unless no further public offering of such securities by the issuer and no reoffering of such securities by the purchasers is proposed to be made.

 

(d) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this amended registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newport Beach, State of California, on March 24, 2011.

 

ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION

 

Paul R. Ryan, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

We, the undersigned directors and officers of Acacia Research Corporation, do hereby constitute and appoint Paul R. Ryan and Clayton J. Haynes, or either of them, our true and lawful attorneys and agents, to do any and all acts and things in our name and behalf in our capacities as directors and officers and to execute any and all instruments for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below, which said attorneys and agents, or either of them, may deem necessary or advisable to enable said corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations, and requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with this registration statement, including specifically, but without limitation, power and authority to sign for us or any of us in our names and in the capacities indicated below, any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, or any related registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and we do hereby ratify and confirm all that the said attorneys and agents, or either of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

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