Intel apparently is still an ARM licensee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XScale#Sale_of_PXA_processor_li...
I'm guessing the licensing fees are peanuts to Intel and probably come with patent indemnification.
I'm guessing the licensing fees are peanuts to Intel and probably come with patent indemnification.
Note that an ARM license has both an up front fee and a per unit royalty. Without Xscale, Intel's royalty fees would be zero meaning as you say it is free to maintain going forward. I can only guess why the license didn't go with Xscale, but I see Marvell is only listed as an ARM9 license holder so maybe it just didn't want the ARM7 and ARM11 licenses.
Perhaps, too, there are other complications that come with transferring an ARM license in the contract language or patent arrangements.