Side Event
Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)
Organizer
Ministry of Environment and Forests of India and CSIR
Date and Time
27 October 2010 13:15 - 14:45
Meeting
Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10)
India has setup Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) as a tool to prevent mis-appropriation/bio-piracy of its Traditional Knowledge at International Patent Offices. TKDL contains information in 34 million pages in a patent application format in five International languages i.e. English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish on 2240000 (0.224 million) medicinal formations similar to Turmeric and Neem. Source of TKDL is published text books of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Yoga Systems of Medicine codified in languages such as Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Tamil. India has successfully concluded TKDL Access (Non-disclosure) Agreements with European Patent Office (EPO), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), German Patent Office and United Kingdom Patent and Trademark Office (UKPTO) and negotiations are underway with other major Patent Offices. Through TKDL since July 2009 India has succeeded in cancellation/withdrawal of 24 patent cases of Multinational firms at European Patent Office at a zero cost and in a period of few weeks. Similar outcomes are expected in near future in several more cases at other International Patent Offices. Therefore today India through TKDL is capable of protecting 0.224 million medicinal formulations against bio-piracy at International Patent Offices.