Apple has struck an agreement that gives it exclusive rights to a new kind of metal alloy known as Liquidmetal.
Liquidmetal is the brand name for one a number of amorphous metal alloys developed by the California Institute of Technology and a commercial offshoot, Liquidmetal Technologies.
That offshoot has now agreed to give Apple exclusive rights to use the alloys in consumer electronics.
“Liquidmetal contributed substantially all of its intellectual property assets to a newly organized special-purpose, wholly-owned subsidiary [that] granted to Apple a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products in exchange for a license fee,” the company said in a regulatory filing.
Liquidmetal retains the licence for all other fields of use.
Amorphous metal alloys provide high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, shock absorbency and durability, providing considerable the applications and advantages for Apple, which is always trying to make thinner, lighter and tougher devices.
