Sure, but that is their right, if they so choose.

Again though Smitty, your statement "Cc suggested to me that he felt it could be pinetree aswell"....

...does not sound too definitive. I had a long email exchange with him yesterday too and being precise is not his strong suit, which of course, is his job.

I really don't think he knows much about what's going on within the company, and likely knows nothing about what PNP is doing, other than speculating.