It is said – generally by public relations people – that “all publicity is good publicity.” They may actually believe it. We have our doubts.
A recent press release from Acacia Research Corporation trumpeted the news that one of their subsidiaries, IP Innovations LLC, along with a co-plaintiff, Technology Licensing Corporation, “received” a jury verdict in their suit against Red Hat and Novell alleging infringement of three patents. The press release concludes with the statement, “[t]he jury determined that the patents were invalid and not infringed.” Apparently, IP Innovations “received” the verdict on their chin.
Admittedly, we are not public relations professionals, and perhaps we are simply missing something here, but it seems to us that Acacia is making a concerted effort to tell the world that they LOST – BIG TIME. We admire honesty and candor, but isn’t this going a bit too far?
THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED: The best place to hide a tree is in the forest; perhaps the best place to hide a loss is in a press release?
Hmm ... maybe they were attempting a pre-emptive strike? As in, they wanted to get out in front of this news and have a chance to frame it in their own terms, before others framed it for them? I don't know, I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here. But it does seem like they're taking the "honesty and candor" thing just a bit too far.