I hear what you are saying, but I think you may be neglecting one thing - they are at the table; they obviously want what we have to offer. At minimum, they are interested. It comes down to (as always) how bad to they want it, and how threatenned do they feel if what they want falls into the hands of a competitor?

Also keep in mind that dragging out the negotiation indefinitely satisfies one of their objectives. As long as they can keep us tied up in what they try to convince us as a "good faith negotiation", they keep the tech and talent out of the hands of a competitor.

Just more to consider....

SGE