On Sat, 2002-11-30 at 08:33, Dileep M. Kumar wrote:
On Fri, Nov 29, 2002 at 03:59:53PM +0530, Khuzaima A. Lakdawala wrote:
Actually, we cannot liken it to any particular licensing scheme because there is no copyright! The status of Ayurvedic knowledge can best be described as `in the public domain'.
The current status of Ayurveda is really in danger. People are taking patents on medicinal plants, which will prevent any body else to make new medicines out of it. I heard that somebody took patent on Turmeric which is a commonly used home-medicine.
Freedom is important to all range of knowledge. It should not be limited to the computer/software freedom alone.
Regards
.''`. Dileep M. Kumar dileep@kumarayil.net
Actually, I feel the concept of freedom in general would strike a chord with most people in India, more easily than freedom in using software. Although our country is supposed to have won freedom from foreign powers more than half a century back, many people would recognise that our freedoms are severely curtailed. For instance, the freedom to information. It is a herculean task in many places to obtain a tiny bit of information from the government. For many people, even the freedom to draw water from a nearby well is denied. I remember long back somebody had written in a local magazine that by enclosing open grounds and creating stadiums, we are denying young people the freedom to play. I see this happening now when my son and his friends are forced to play on the road, while a reasonably large area is enclosed with walls and lying vacant nearby. Why, in this place, the parents are the main culprits in denying children the freedom to play, right from the age of five or six years. They are only supposed to study. God knows what kind of adults they would grow up to become.
Regards Sasi