Intel gets all the HDCP money
 

The annual membership fee for HDCP is a saucy $15000 and if you don't pay it up you can simply forget about calling your product HDCP compliant. Intel also gets the money for a physical key necessary for HDCP and the manufacturer has to spend only $0.5 cent (half cent) to get it. Intel usually charges chaps such as Silicon image or other chip manufacturer for it but we have a strong feeling that the graphic manufactures have to pay it up. Maybe Nvidia and ATI pay the annual membership and then give the licences to its partner and berry the cost of the key in the price. It is really a tiny amount.