The corporations sell some discoveries to the government if the
government is in a better position to exploit the find. The corps aren't
all-powerful; they have limits as well. If they find something they can
exploit commercially themselves, and which they have the resources to get,
then of course they'll do it themselves. If the discovery is of greatest
military utility, and is a real pain in the ass to get, they'll sell the
info to the government in exchange for certain rights and fees.

jms