They're not independent - they license the proprietary Lightning standard from Apple at a fee [1] [2]. As a potential headphone manufacturer you can't even kno

They're not independent - they license the proprietary Lightning standard from Apple at a fee [1] [2]. As a potential headphone manufacturer you can't even know the exact agreement (including terms and royalties) without signing an NDA. [1] - https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/ https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/ [2] - https://mfi.apple.com/MFiWeb/getFAQ.action#1-1 https://mfi.apple.com/MFiWeb/getFAQ.action#1-1