Acacia Research provides protection under its canopy for intellectual property. The company acquires, develops, licenses, and protects patented technologies for individual inventors and small companies that have limited resources to protect against infringement. The company owns or controls the rights to more than 170 patent portfolios and more than 90 technology license programs in the US and abroad. It typically buys portfolios and pays its clients an upfront fee or becomes the exclusive licensing agent and doles out royalties. It has out-licensed to such companies as 3M, Dell, IBM, Texas Instruments, and Walt Disney Company. Acacia Research primarily operates through its Acacia Technologies subsidiary.