After lengthy and costly legal battles, the Indian government has successfully overturned unscrupulous US patenting on the prodution of Neem, the use of turmeric to heal wounds, and a patent on a strain of India's famous basmati rice.
Currently, patents are only open to 'new discoveries', leading many large biotech and pharmaceutial companies to pick over the folk remedies of other cultures and claim them as their own to further their profits without returning any of those profits back to the indiginous peoples of the countries from which they take. These 'new' discoveries have in fact been used by societies for thousands of years.
In order to prevent further 'bioprospecting', the Indian government is creating the Traditional Knowledge Data Library (TKDL). This 30 million page database covers an immense amount of knowledge of herbs, medicinal practices, beauty secrets and eventually, yoga.
For more information, go to tkdl.res.in
India has set the stage for other countries to do the same and their efforts are supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization. China, Brazil and South Africa are among the countries taking steps to protect their indigenous wisdom.
Biopiracy is an increasing problem as society turns to natural remedies for healing that doesn't harm the body. If anyone has information about activism in this regard I'd love to see it posted here.
In yoga,
Jenn
Currently, patents are only open to 'new discoveries', leading many large biotech and pharmaceutial companies to pick over the folk remedies of other cultures and claim them as their own to further their profits without returning any of those profits back to the indiginous peoples of the countries from which they take. These 'new' discoveries have in fact been used by societies for thousands of years.
In order to prevent further 'bioprospecting', the Indian government is creating the Traditional Knowledge Data Library (TKDL). This 30 million page database covers an immense amount of knowledge of herbs, medicinal practices, beauty secrets and eventually, yoga.
For more information, go to tkdl.res.in
India has set the stage for other countries to do the same and their efforts are supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization. China, Brazil and South Africa are among the countries taking steps to protect their indigenous wisdom.
Biopiracy is an increasing problem as society turns to natural remedies for healing that doesn't harm the body. If anyone has information about activism in this regard I'd love to see it posted here.
In yoga,
Jenn
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Canada
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Re: India Protects her Lore
Sun, January 22, 2006 - 6:27 PMHi Jenn
Great post. I'm glad to hear that terms such as basmati and Neem will be given their proper origin. I remember when the basmati issue came up and how much outrage is caused in South Asia. I believe and American company wanted exclusive rights to use the term Basmati.
Just as an after thought I wonder if they could include they could include some of the great Indian Ragas (melodic types) as these are also indigenous products of South Asia. This woulds also extend to the musical compositions. In the west music is highly copyrighted, yet in South Asia this issue is just beginning to be explored.
I think that part of the problem in India is the tracking down of the originater of some of the music... Music if the traditional classical repertoire was composed by known musicians. Iv'e seen that individual composers often used unique rhythms and melodoc phrases that make them identifiable.
