TSMC's IP moves stir up concern among providers

What does IP stand for?
(1) Internet Protocol is a basic communication language or protocol widely used in the Internet or a private network. It is a data-oriented protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork. (2) Intellectual Property. A product of the intellect that has commercial value, including copyrighted property (literary or artistic works) and ideational property (patents, appellations of origin, business methods and industrial processes).

What is a semiconductor?
A class of materials, for instance silicon and germanium, whose electrical properties lie between those of conductors (such as copper and aluminum) and insulators (such as glass and rubber). It displays relatively high resistance in pure state and much lower resistance when it contains small amounts of certain impurities.