Or, far more likely, that ATI or NVIDIA license the IP, or buy the company to get the IP. That doesn't happen without a patent, and that's what patents are for

Or, far more likely, that ATI or NVIDIA license the IP, or buy the company to get the IP. That doesn't happen without a patent, and that's what patents are for... To ensure that the big players can't simply steal the game-changing idea you've been working on.