You said:...

"I continue to be amazed how all these CE companies and others in somewhat related fields, make it a regular practice to steal IP....like it's standard operating procedure, and if/when they get caught, there's money in the budget in anticipation of having to write a check."...

Frankly, I am amazed that you are amazed...

The year was 1986; Tech bubble had not started yet; and Rudy Guliani, as then U.S Attorney in Charge in New York initiated a deal which changed the face of doing business forever.

"In December 1986, U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani made one of the most extraordinary deals in the annals of American justice. It was with Ivan Boesky, the Wall Street arbitrageur, who had admitted using stolen information to make over a $100 million. Not only was he was allowed to plead guilty to a only a single count of securities violations, but he was permitted to keep secret his foreign bank and brokerage accounts, even if they had been enriched by his criminal activity. Similarly, the accounts in his wife and children's name were protected. This accord was not Giuliani's work alone: it was initialed by the U.S. Attorneys in both Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. What Boesky offered to give in return for this leniency was, among other things, information about the secret dealings of a reclusive financier in Los Angeles-- Michael Robert Milken."...

Thus Government went after Junk Bond King Micheal Milken and after exposing the SAVINGS and Loan Crisis, replete with corruption and graft convicted Mr. Milken and he ended up in a Federal Penitentiary much drum beating and fanfare the Government who had started with charging Milkin with RICO violation, ended up charging him wi the six counts of Securities and Tax violations...

The judge in sentencingsaid the following:

"You were willing to commit only crimes that were unlikely to be detected.... When a man of your power in the financial world... repeatedly conspires to violate, and violates, securities and tax business in order to achieve more power and wealth for himself... a significant prison term is required."...

He was entenced to 10 years of which he had to serve 3 years, which later was reduced to 2 years. He also PAID OUT 1.1 billion in penalties etc. to the goverment and those he had defrauded.

During the less than 2 years he spent in the Federal Penitentiary, (which is a fancy Vacation like venue replete with Tennis Courts, Swimming Pools, and outdoor activities), he wrote couple of books which made him millions and outlined the blue print of what we see today as one of his supporters said prophetically:

"Corporate America is hoping to indict Mike Milken...so it can go back to sleep for another 30 years." It was, to them part of "the war" on Wall Street"...

Sure enough in less than 30 years, (22 years to 2008), we had another round of stealing of the wealth of the Nation, this time through the REAL ESTATE paper floated by the Banks and Wall Street which is te cause of the present day Economic Crisis...

I could write a book on this, but for Now this would suffice as an ANSWER to your post, hopefully shedding some light on what are the economic conditions in which EDIG is hoping to prosper.

Gil...