India shares traditional knowledge library with European Patent Office
March 17, 2009 | BY
clpstaff &clp articlesManisha Singh NairLex [email protected] countries where traditional knowledge plays a key role in the day-to-day practices of people and this…
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Manisha Singh Nair
Lex Orbis
In countries where traditional knowledge plays a key role in the day-to-day practices of people and this knowledge is attributed with medicinal, healing and therapeutic properties, protection of such knowledge and its variant usage is essential.
Traditional knowledge has largely been handed down through the generations by word of mouth, while a part of this knowledge finds its description in ancient classical and other literature, some of which may be difficult to access and understand. Documentation of the knowledge available in the public domain on various traditional systems of medicine has become imperative in order to safeguard its sovereignty. Documentation is also essential in order to protect knowledge from being misappropriated in the form of patents to non-original innovations.
Protection of traditional knowledge has of late been considered as a matter of national concern. India, owing to its rich traditional knowledge, has witnessed close to 2000 patents