TDKL-India A Role Model in the Fight against Biopiracy

Traditional knowledge (TK) is integral to the identity of most local indigenous communities all over the world. It is an essential constituent of a community's social and physical environment and, therefore, its preservation is of vital importance. Attempts to exploit TK for industrial or commercial benefit can lead to its misappropriation and can prejudice the interests of its rightful owners and custodians. As the relevance and economic import of intellectual property has increased manifold, the threat to the traditional medicinal knowledge, especially those belonging to the indigenous communities of the developing and underdeveloped nations of the world has amplified tremendously. India has a very rich and diverse knowledge in ancient Traditional medicines, however, this valuable asset is under threat from many parts of the world. It is alarming to watch widespread misappropriation of traditional knowledge through patent filings by third parties without the prior informed consent of TK holders and few, if any, of the derived benefits are shared with the communities in which this knowledge originated, developed and preserved. These issues have placed TK to the forefront of the international agenda, triggering debates about the ways to preserve, protect, further develop and use TK in medicines. India has been a pioneer in this field by documenting and digitizing TK-related information in the form of TKDL. This paper analyses the relevance and effectiveness of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TDKL) as a defensive protection mechanism in safeguarding India's rich and varied heritage in traditional medicines.