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Technology Stocks : Research Frontiers (REFR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bridge Player who wrote (5228)	4/12/2004 12:51:12 PM
From: Edscharp	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50583

Bridge, "Wouldn't it be neat to know if it costs an outfit like Prelco anything to obtain a license from REFR? Or, if this is a no-cost deal, and simply puts them in a position to manufacture products if SPD should take off some day? Does it make a difference? I agree it would be nice to know. More information is always better than less information, but the only legit argument I can think of for charging upfront license fees is the one that suggests that a licensee that pays for a license clearly has the intent to use it. Sounds plausible, but there is then another problem. How much must REFR charge a licensee before one concludes that there is good intent. Five dollars is obviously too little. Is $20,000 to much? Where is the drawing line if one is trying to determine good intent? Bashers would probably have a field day if they learned that a company as large as St. Gobains only paid a $1,000 for a license. On the other hand St. Gobains is a huge glass company. For the moment REFR needs them more than St. Gobains need REFR. It stands to reason that it is in the interest of REFR to encourage as many licensees as possible. Though this is an interesting issue I don't think it's crucial to the problem at hand. If Prelco, Thermoview or whomever has a customer that wants SPD windows the license gives them the opportunity to provide it. If Prelco can make money why wouldn't they? Even if they didn't pay for a license it's still in their interest to serve their customer's needs. Personally, I think it's interesting that so many glass & glass-related companies have an interest in SPD technology. At a minimum it strongly suggests a belief on their parts that there is a market.