EXHIBIT 23.2 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated March 26, 1999 relating to the financial statements and financial statement schedules, which appears in Acacia Research Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement. /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP - ---------------------------------- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Los Angeles, California January 20, 2000