I've heard some of Broadcom's stingeyness with documentation may stem from the risks created by the perverse environment created by IP laws. With a patent troll only one manual away, I can somewhat understand to a degree holding things close to your chest if you want to continue to exist.

I mean it sucks massively, but I can at least understand it. It's part of why I strongly disagree with the "IP" side of semiconductor products, and believe that we really need to treat everything about computing as if it were straight up math. Doing anything else simply ensures that the knowledge will only very slowly percolate outward in the process of becoming a naturally endemic proficiency of the average modern human.