$ 1 0 0   mill ion ▁for ▁a ▁paid - up ▁license , ▁to ▁use ▁Creative ' s ▁awarded ▁pat ent ▁in ▁all ▁Apple ▁products . ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁agreement , ▁Apple ▁will ▁rec oup ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁payment , ▁if ▁Creative ▁is ▁successful ▁in ▁lic ens ing ▁the ▁pat ent . ▁Creative ▁then ▁announced ▁its ▁intention ▁to ▁produce ▁i Pod ▁access ories ▁by ▁joining ▁the ▁Made ▁for ▁i Pod ▁program . ▁ ▁Sales ▁ ▁Since ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁i Pod ▁line ▁has ▁domin ated ▁digital ▁music ▁player ▁sales ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁with ▁over ▁ 9 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁market ▁for ▁hard ▁drive - based ▁players ▁and ▁over ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁market ▁for ▁all ▁types ▁of ▁players . ▁During ▁the ▁year ▁from ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁to ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁high ▁rate ▁of ▁sales ▁caused ▁its ▁U . S . ▁market ▁share ▁to ▁increase ▁from ▁ 3 1 % ▁to ▁ 6 5 % ▁and ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁this ▁market ▁share ▁was ▁measured ▁at ▁ 7 4 %. ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁the ▁i Pod ▁market ▁share ▁reached ▁ 7 2 . 7 % ▁according ▁to ▁Blo om berg ▁Online . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁H ew lett - Pack ard ▁( HP ) ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁sell ▁H P - brand ed ▁i P ods