"G.D. Searle and Company was only able to patent the specific steroids developed in its laboratories, not the term “The Pill” or the concept of using steroids as contraceptives. And Searle never would have supplied Pincus with the experimental drugs he needed if in doing so they had risked their right to exclusive control over compounds they developed. Nevertheless, Pincus only encouraged McCormick to make all of her contributions directly to the foundation after G.D. Searle had begun supporting the pill project with both experimental drugs and specific research grant."