After reading a bit, here is my 2 cents worth.
CIP is 100% owned by LQMT. Apple has perpetual* exclusive rights to use those CIP patents in CE.
While lqmt cannot compete or license their IP to others who would compete against Apple (as per MTA agreement) nothing stops another company from buying lqmt and doing whatever they want with those Crucible IP patents.
If Apple allows another company to buy lqmt then Apple cannot stop the new owners of lqmt from using CIP patents, nor can the new owners of lqmt stop Apple from using CIP patents.
The new owners of lqmt can use or license their IP to anyone including those that are in CE and compete against Apple. Apple cannot license CIP patents to anyone! Apple can only use the patents not license them.
Apple cannot stop any company from using patents they just acquired legally through purchasing lqmt. The only option for Apple is too buy lqmt or watch another company buy the patents that it has funded.
..also as others have said the MTA is too vague when it comes to CE, anything that receives/stores/transmits data is a CE.
..and does anyone believe thant a company like Samsung would be scared to confront Apple in the courts? Samsung blatantly copies and steals Apple's ideas and even after a billion dollar fine against them they still won't pay up or stop the copying, Apple may seem big and powerful but many companies take them to court, and even if they lose they still continue with their R&D.
.. Google, Facebook, Elon Musk are all looking into mini satellites and space exploration, they won't hesitate to question Apple's "perpetual exclusive" claim on CIP, if they buy or license the IP from new owners.
*does "perpetual" even exist when patents have a shelf life ?
is "perpetual" dependant on the MTA renewal ?
is the "perpetual" agreement/obligation even transferable to new owners ?!
if "perpetual" means Apple owns CIP then why did Apple renew its first right of refusal ??
and the obligatory IMHO.
