MtnView: And if DO HAVE one or more deals of importance, where does the concept of MATERIAL information come into play?  POET management can't "sit" on material information just because they can't figure out a way to communicate such info to shareholders, can they?

Well, in fact, they can. National Policy NP - 51- 201 - Disclosure Standards reads (2.2 Confidentiality):

Securities legislation permits a company to delay disclosure of a material change and to keep it confidential temporarily where immediate release of the information would be unduly detrimental to the company's interests. For example, immediate disclosure might interfere with a company's pursuit of a specific objective or strategy, with ongoing negotiations, or with its ability to complete a transaction. If the harm to a company's business from disclosing outweighs the general benefit to the market of immediate disclosure, withholding disclosure is justified. In such cases a company may withhold public disclosure, but it must make a confidential filing with the securities commission.