I agree, but I think it's better than the alternative of it remaining with some patent troll to never be used in a productive way. If it remains in private hands, we don't get a say in what happens to it. If the government owns it, there's at least a chance that democratic processes can affect what happens to it and standards can be enforced that licensees must meet or adhere to.

There are plenty of NIH patents that are licensed, and while some of the companies they're licensed to make my skin crawl, they're at least being used productively, and not locked away to be used as a cudgel in a legal racket.