if ung al ▁drug ▁gr ise of ul vin . ▁They ▁created ▁a ▁pat ent ▁pool ▁by ▁cross - lic ens ing ▁their ▁pat ents , ▁subject ▁to ▁express ▁lic ens ing ▁restrictions ▁that ▁the ▁chemical ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁" fin ished " ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁drug ▁( table ts ▁and ▁caps ules ) ▁was ▁made ▁must ▁not ▁be ▁res old ▁in ▁bulk ▁form , ▁and ▁they ▁lic ensed ▁other ▁drug ▁companies ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁drug ▁in ▁finished ▁form ▁and ▁subject ▁to ▁similar ▁restrictions . ▁The ▁effect ▁and ▁intent ▁of ▁the ▁bulk - s ale ▁restriction ▁was ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁drug ▁chemical ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁small ▁companies ▁that ▁might ▁act ▁as ▁price - cut ters , ▁and ▁the ▁effect ▁was ▁to ▁maintain ▁stable , ▁uniform ▁prices . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁brought ▁an ▁ant it rust ▁suit ▁against ▁the ▁two ▁companies — Un ited ▁States ▁v . ▁Gla x o ▁Group ▁Ltd .— charg ing ▁them ▁with ▁viol ation ▁of ▁the ▁Sh erman ▁Act ▁and ▁also ▁seeking ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁pat ents ▁declared ▁invalid . ▁The ▁trial ▁court ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁defend ants ▁had ▁engaged ▁in ▁several ▁un law ful ▁consp ira cies , ▁but ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁suit ▁seeking ▁invalid ation ▁of ▁pat ents ▁and ▁refused ▁to ▁grant ▁as ▁relief ▁mand atory ▁sales ▁of ▁the ▁bulk ▁drug ▁chemical ▁and ▁comp uls ory ▁lic ens ing ▁of ▁the ▁pat ents . ▁The ▁government ▁appe aled ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁which ▁revers ed , ▁in ▁United ▁States ▁v