On Sat, 30 Nov 2002 08:33:43 +0530, "Dileep M. Kumar" dileep@gmx.net wrote:
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.
Actually, one can't patent the naturally occuring plant itself. The patent Dileep is referring to would either be a "process" patent or a "product" patent. Of course, that too would be a ridiculous patent to grant because the said "process" has been a part of traditional (mostly unwritten) knowledge and the patentee simply formalises the knowledge (usually using legalese which sometimes even reasonably literate people cannot decipher, let alone adivasis who otherwise have known about the said "process" through generations!). Unfortunately, WIPO and its cohorts think otherwise.
Freedom is important to all range of knowledge. It should not be limited to the computer/software freedom alone.
Absolutely. In fact, the free software cause pales when compared to the fight for keeping traditional knowledge in the public domain and preventing it from being hijacked through patents. The repercussions of the latter are indeed mind boggling!