My immediate thought is: if there is no patent or other protection of innovation to be pursued, no one, and I mean no one, will pursue research into this. Maybe this is an attempt to try to control innovation? Or perhaps make the market so hostile that no research can or will take place outside of the federal government umbrella.

Who will pour the millions/billions of dollars into gene research when everyone else can simply sit back, wait, and then when the discovery is made, reap the benefit for free? Has anyone in the government ever read "Little Red Hen?" Perhaps a "friend of the court" courtesy copy could be sent to the policy/decision makers who hold our lives in their hands.