<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION -----------------------------
FORM 4 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB APPROVAL
- -------- ----------------------------
/ / CHECK THIS BOX IF NO STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OMB NUMBER: 3235-0287
LONGER SUBJECT TO EXPIRES: APRIL 30, 1997
SECTION 16. FORM 4 OR Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN
FORM 5 OBLIGATIONS MAY Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or HOURS PER RESPONSE .... 0.5
CONTINUE. SEE Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 ----------------------------
INSTRUCTION 1(b).
(Print or Type Responses)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S><C>
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name AND Ticker or Trading Symbol 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
Akin Thomas B. Acacia Research Corporation/ACRI X Director 10% Owner
---- ----
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officer (give Other
(Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS or Social Security 4. Statement for ---- title ---- (specify
Number of Reporting Month/Year below) below)
55 South Lake Avenue Person (Voluntary) 11/99 ----------------- -------------
- -------------------------------------------- --------------------- 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing
(Street) 5. If Amendment, (Check Applicable Line)
Date of Original X Form filed by One Reporting Person
(Month/Year) ---
Form filed by More than One
Pasadena CA 91101 --- Reporting Person
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip) TABLE I - NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Security 2. Trans- 3. Trans- 4. Securities Acquired (A) 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature
(Instr. 3) action action or Disposed of (D) Securities ship of In-
Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Form: direct
(Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Bene-
(Month/ End of (D) or ficial
Day/ ------------------------------------------- Month Indirect Owner-
Year) (A) or (Instr. 3 (I) ship
Code V Amount (D) Price and 4) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/18/99 X 130,436 A $7.50 D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/18/99 X 130,436 A $7.50 I By Talkot
Crossover
Fund
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/12/99 S 50,000 D 18.6096 D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/15/99 S 21,000 D 19.0238 D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/18/99 S 1,800 D 18.875 D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/19/99 S 20,000 D 19.6563 D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/24/99 S 4,500 D 20.6389 D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/26/99 S 14,136 D 21.00 264,508* D
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Over)
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, SEE Instruction 4(b)(v). SEC 1474 (7-97)
POTENTIAL PERSONS WHO ARE TO RESPOND TO THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THIS FORM ARE NOT REQUIRED TO RESPOND UNLESS THE FORM
DISPLAYS A CURRENTLY VALID OMB CONTROL NUMBER.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FORM 4 (CONTINUED) TABLE II - DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
(E.G., PUTS, CALLS, WARRANTS, OPTIONS, CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Transac- 5. Number of Deriv- 6. Date Exer-
(Instr. 3) sion or action tion Code ative Securities Ac- cisable and Ex-
Exercise Date (Instr. 8) quired (A) or Dis- piration Date
Price of (Month/ posed of (D) (Month/Day/
Deriv- Day/ (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) Year)
ative Year)
Security
--------------------
Date Expira-
-------------------------------------- Exer- tion
cisable Date
Code V (A) (D)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 7.50 11/18/99 X 130,436 3/31/98 11/19/99
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Purchase Warrant
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 7.50 11/18/99 X 130,436 3/31/98 11/19/99
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Purchase Warrant
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Title and Amount of Under- 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Nature
lying Securities of of Deriv- ship of In-
(Instr. 3 and 4) Deriv- ative Form direct
ative Securi- of De- Bene-
Secur- ties rivative ficial
ity Bene- Secu- Own-
(Instr. ficially rity: ership
5) Owned Direct (Instr. 4)
at End (D) or
Amount or of Indi-
Title Number of Month rect (I)
Shares (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 130,436 0.05 I By Talkot
Crossover
Fund
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 130,436 0.05 22,000** D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses:
* Includes 3,636 shares owned by Talkot Crossover Fund
** Subject to vesting schedules
/s/ Thomas B. Akin 12/1/99
----------------------------------- -----------
**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute **Signature of Reporting Person Date
Federal Criminal Violations. SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space is insufficient, SEE Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently
valid OMB Number.
Page 2
SEC 1474 (7-97)
</TABLE>
