The term Quixotic comes to mind
I wonder if they hope to have China telecoms get on their side... Without some Chinese help, I don't see how they can get rid of this one.
Then again, this might be just to earn time. The idea of having to stop selling iPhones must be driving them nuts. Or to pay the troll.
Now that I come to think of it, I wonder how much the troll is asking. What's the limit, when you are against Apple, and a rigged system on your side?