India–Brazil Cooperation on Traditional Knowledge Protection
Context
India and Brazil have strengthened collaboration in the area of intellectual property protection through an agreement between Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), granting the Brazilian Patent Office access to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).
Background of the Initiative
- Institutional Origin: A pioneering initiative of the Government of India, jointly implemented by CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH.
- Launch Year: 2001.
- Distinctive Feature: One of the earliest global databases created to document traditional knowledge as searchable prior art.
Objective and Strategic Rationale
- Primary Aim: To prevent the grant of illegitimate patents based on India’s traditional medicinal and wellness knowledge.
- Broader Purpose: To safeguard indigenous knowledge systems from biopiracy and unauthorised commercial exploitation.
Scope of Knowledge Documentation
- Systems Covered: Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Yoga.
- Source Authenticity: Information compiled from authoritative classical texts.
- Data Structuring: Traditional knowledge translated from multiple Indian languages, organised, and mapped to modern scientific and patent classification terminology.
International Access Framework
- Multilingual Availability: Provided in five international languages—English, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
- Access Protocol: Shared exclusively with patent offices under Non-Disclosure Agreements.
- Global Outreach: With Brazil’s inclusion, TKDL is now accessible to 18 patent offices worldwide.
Significance of India–Brazil Partnership
- For India: Strengthens global efforts to counter biopiracy and protect traditional knowledge heritage.
- For Brazil: Improves the quality and efficiency of patent examination through better evaluation of novelty and prior art.
Source : PIB