Right. (Probably in most states) nobody owns plain old dead bodies. However, Australian and English courts have held that people can own objects made with rema

Right. (Probably in most states) nobody owns plain old dead bodies. However, Australian and English courts have held that people can own objects made with remains as long as skill was applied. Not sure if there's similar case law in the US. So there might be value in deciding who rightfully owns these specimens. This discussion is a little tangential. The article is discussing the ethics, not legality, of how the samples were collected.