Perhaps that future MMP licensees will be less likely to pay 'full price' or 'escalating fees' due to their increased Heath care costs... That's how I read it..

Yes, possible. However, the market seems to have a different take on the damage done to Caterpillar - obviously things can change from hour to hour, but I just checked to see that, the morning after the landmark healthcare legislation vote, Caterpillar's SP is up 27 cents.

Still, as I explained in a message which was erased from this forum on Saturday, even if US companies' bottom lines are adversely affected by increased healthcare costs, Alliacense can avoid that problem simply by going after the hundreds of foreign infringers who are not burdened by having to take responsibility for their employees' health costs; in fact infringers in every developed country bar the US, so there's no lack of opportunity for Alliacense.

Thank Goodness CAT has signed...

Absolutely. A nice one.

..a hundred million IS a hundred million

True, even taken in the context of costs incurred by a multi-billion dollar company it is a lot of money. But remember it's not a real cost... yet... but one inserted into a release which was not exactly neutral in tone. Whether health care costs actually increase or decrease the US national deficit or individual American MMP infringer costs will only become apparent in the fullness of time. And, if it turns out to be the former, please refer to my observation above. No problem for Alliacense.