did i miss something? who owns the "patent" in question; evigny (or did he assign any interest); others? if an assignment is documented and/or registered - locked up, evigny might not have been (though you're right, he should have been) a consideration. all this intrigue; if the idea is good, a primary consderation is who owns it, and is ownership subject to any contingencies. if it is the company, and if doc c is just doing the right thing and waiting until a deal is finalized to announce, what is driving the price down now could just be impatience (and possibly ss), which makes the situation even better for averaging down and/or increasing investment in a good thing. lots of novels here, but which is the non-fiction?