This made me to do go-through the curious case of India-US Patent War for Turmeric.
Here's the story: The turmeric war actually began in 1995, when the US Patent Office granted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (#UMMC) a patent [#5,401,504] for "Use of Turmeric in Wound Healing.". Soon the US pharma companies started creating medicines using Turmeric (Curcuma), especially for Arthritis and cancer; and their media started trumpeting the goodness of turmeric all over the world.
Fortunately The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (#CSIR) of India submitted prior art evidences in the form of references in books from 18th century to the 20th century citing evidences that turmeric has been part of Indian life, in our food, cosmetics, medicines and tradition.
The US Patent Office had no choice than acknowledging Indian’s prior knowledge of Turmeric in Wound healing and cancelled the patent awarded to the Mississippi Medical Centre in 1997.
This Patent win completely disappointed the business plans of the US pharma sector; but they did not have any better exchange for the turmeric. Now after nearly 15 years of continuous research, they have reduced or almost stopped using Curcuma (turmeric) component ; and their media started to campaign against the turmeric.
You may find it strange to link the story of 20 years old patent win, but that’s the only logical reasons for these new studies and articles looming against the use of turmeric.
SO WHAT’S THE TAKE AWAY ?
This is not the story of just turmeric. The war against bio-piracy endures for #Neem , #Basmati Rice, #Darjeeling Tea, Indian #wheat, and even for our own #Yoga postures😦; Can you believe that we're fighting claims to about 40 products all over the world.
Enough said, the whole story gives me only resolution. If we don’t appreciate and safe-guard our tradition and traditional products, foreigners will find ways to put their name and monetize it. Then we’ll end-up paying hefty royalty to a foreign company - for the knowledge that our ancestors practiced and full-grown for years!!!
5 Comments to "Turmeric, Neem, Tulsi, Yoga & More - "Biopiracy of India's way of Life""
India's traditional medicinal knowledge exists in languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Arabic and Tamil. This knowledge was neither accessible nor understood by patent examiners at the international patent offices.
Good article... This is the ripe time where genuine efforts are required from government, Non Government Organization (NGO)’s, scientists and publishers to restrict highly ambitious pharmaceutical and biotechnological firms to escort our national wealth. There is a dire need of modification or amendments in international and national rules in order to safeguard national interests and to negate the privatization of international knowledge and resources.
Rightly said Madhu Varma. Government should really put serious efforts to protect against biopiracy by regularizing rules for the pharmaceutical sector.
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