"Sony Ericcson wouldn't enter into a deal with NEOM without some form of due diligence"
Sony's possible due diligence:
Is the NeoReader a stand alone application that can work whether or not NEOM is around?
Yes
Does the NeoReader read 2d barcodes and take the user to a website via the direct method?
Yes
Does the NeoReader read 1d barcodes with the right optics and the correct parameters?
It can.
What if NEOM isn't around, or what if the technology is around but NEOM's shareholders get wiped out by YAGI?
Whoever owns the patents can continue to run any backend clearinghouse operations via Neustar or other, if such is needed. We don't worry about shareholder issues.
In a worst case scenario, can our customers download a different application to read barcodes?
Yes
--- I may not be entirely correct, but that's a possible scenario re: some form of SE's due diligence.
JMHO
jonesie