The drug patent story is completely unbelievable, it's the type of yarn that an incompetent bureaucrat would spin to explain not making money for his company. Everybody in the biotech business would bend over backwards to increase the use of their IP - if you don't use it, the only people making money off it are IP lawyers. Everybody knows there are ways of circumventing any IP position, it's just a matter of time and money - bluffing in this game could mean you will be cut out of deals. There are strategic relationships, swaps, judicious use of trade secrets, and because money is to be made it is not too difficult to get multiple partners to work together, or at least not as difficult as when egos or tribal feelings are involved.