Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (LQMT)

[sojomy]

And remember, the APPLE agreement had a limit. I guess now its been extended two years I forget the specifics, but before the extension, the contract stated anything developed after the APPLE/LQMT agreement end date would not fall under the exclusivity part even for CE. Another contract would have to be signed for those "discoveries". I'm not sure now if the two year extension also extends that part of the contract...that discoveries for an addition two years will be APPLES exclusively. That is my understanding. Remember some were confused on that issue. They thought APPLE owned all CE in perpetuity.....they only own what is developed under the timelimited contract. And I think we are still in the dark about what is involved with the next two years....if royalties are involved or is it just the extension of the same agreement.

Sorry, this is false. The MTA says that Apple bought the exclusive and perpetual rights to commercialize any product (using LQMT in any way) in the Consumer Electronics category. The 2 year agreement wasn't a limitation for what Apple could sell, or for how long they held the exclusivity in the CE category. The 2 year agreement was only about discoveries made by either party (LQMT or Apple), and that they would be shared in both directions. If Apple discovered a new process for Injection Molding LQMT products during the agreement, they would be obligated to share those processes with LQMT, and vice versa. They both agreed to renew the 2 year agreement for another 2 years. Once this agreement is expired, and if not renewed by either party, then any discoveries made by either party do not have to be shared with the other. But in no way, can anyone besides Apple sell any product using LQMT in any way in the consumer electronics category ever again without Apple's permission. Apple bought a perpetual license, meaning forever. For. Ever. Apple does have the right to sub-license the rights that they bought to use LQMT in a consumer electronics product.

Also, Apple will in no way, ever have to pay LQMT another penny. Whether they make millions of LQMT products, or no products, they will not have to pay LQMT for anything else. This doesn't mean that they won't, because there is always a possibility that they could contract LQMT (directly or indirectly) to provide materials or to actually manufacture the parts for them, but given Apple's history of wanting to keep control of their supply chain, combined with their need to keep costs at a minimum, I wouldn't expect them to use LQMT for anything else. Maybe if the 2 year discovery agreement expires and then LQMT comes up with something that Apple couldn't, then maybe they'll pay more for it.

Another lie that people have been spouting on here is that Apple must develop a product using LQMT someday, or they'll be breaking the MTA and lose the license that they paid for. These people keep saying that Apple bought the right to commercialize LQMT in the CE field, so they have to actually make something to honor their part of the agreement. This is just dreamers grasping at straws. Anyone who has any concept of logic understands that they bought the "right to commercialize", not the "right to commercialize". They bought the right, not the obligation. The obligatory word is right, not commercialize. Apple can sit on this technology forever, and never use it any product at all, and still, no one else in the world will be able to commercialize any products in the CE field without Apple's permission.

People have misunderstood (and sometimes outright ignored) the facts of the MTA for months. They either don't understand it, or they just don't want to believe it, so they keep saying things that just aren't true. People need to stop ignoring the facts.