UN praises Indian efforts to protect 'Traditional Knowledge'

A top UN official has praised India for its "pioneering" role in protection of 'Traditional Knowledge' and said the country's extensive database of thousands of formulations in various languages was an example for the developing world.

A top UN official has praised India for its "pioneering" role in protection of 'Traditional Knowledge' and said the country's extensive database of thousands of formulations in various languages was an example for the developing world.

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The Director of United Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Francis Gurry, recently wrapped up a five-day visit to India and stated that the renewed mandate of the WIPO's Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property presented "a real opportunity" to achieve tangible results.

He also called for more international cooperation in the areas of Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Folklore.

According to Gurry, India's publicly available, Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which houses an extensive database of thousands of formulations in patent search compatible formats in various languages was worth emulating by the developing world.

The UN official also praised the 'Indian Systems of Medicine' initiative which covers traditional health care systems and medicine, and the legislation to protect Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources.

The WIPO director also pointed out that Intellectual Property mechanisms could play significant role in mitigating the consequences of climate change underlining that policies that stimulate the creation and diffusion of technology are directly relevant to an effective response to the challenges of climate change.