Holding the patent allow the government to recoup its investment to some degree. Governments don't necessarily have to treat patents the same way as private co

Holding the patent allow the government to recoup its investment to some degree. Governments don't necessarily have to treat patents the same way as private companies do, either. Legislation can require a fairly open licensing scheme for reasonable rates, for example, which balances recouping expense with making the publicly-funded work publicly available.