The CDC owns a patent for the Ebola virus
This is true, but it’s not completely understood by the theorists. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention patented a strain of Ebola in 2010 known as “EboBun,” not the strain that is currently affecting victims around the world, which is “Ebola Zaire.” The CDC would patent certain viruses that had been discovered to prevent the private sector from being able to patent them, which would mean those privately-owned companies would be able to charge money to agencies like the CDC for access to said viruses for the purposes of research.
Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled last year (Association For Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics) that isolated genetic material — including viruses — are no longer eligible to be patented because separating them from the surrounding material doesn’t mean you “invented” them.
