We Are Going to Fight These Biopirates by Going Public Domain

As India's government official compiled and prepared to unleash this massive resource I can imagine from its onset, all parties involved regularly chanted, "no more yoga, no more neem we are going to fight these biopirates by going public domain, no more yoga, no more neem we are going to fight these biopirates by going public domain. After a monumental effort and hundred of thousands of men and women hours, the government of India recently finished a massive database, the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, which makes available for the entire world, thousands of years worth of traditional Indian remedies, medicines, and practices.

What makes this effort even more extraordinarily unique is they did not do it as a profit making venture, as there are many who would pay dearly for this information. What India's government did was release the entire Traditional Knowledge Digital Library database of information into the public domain. It is their hope by placing this vast resource of India's health history and secrets in the public domain, that will keep it out of reach of western biotech companies who would attempt to patent the information and claim it as their own.

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library opens to everyone, all of the natural healing systems of Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. You can view it by going to the web address: www.tkdl.res.in. The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library contains details from more than 150,000 of India's ancient, secret, and traditional health and wellness remedies. This includes recipes, dietary practices, techniques, and historical information. Everything from basic principles and philosophy to specific regimens for anyone's physical and mental health and wellness can be accessed.

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library project employed over 200 researchers, translators, and computer personnel, who spent eight years transcribing and translating the ancient texts which have been stored away in India's libraries, monastery vaults, and other repositories for centuries. This once closely guarded wisdom is now available in English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese. The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library project is not complete. They are nearing completion on an expanded yoga section which will include never before revealed, to the Western world, yoga poses.

Yoga is one of the traditional Indian institutions which have come under patent attack by many Western yoga instructors as the practice grows in popularity in this country. Other attempts to biopiracy Indian traditional institutions included attempts to patent turmeric, basmati rice, and the neem tree. India has effectively made its store house of wisdom public property, through the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library project, and it can now be accessed and used by anyone at www.tkdl.res.in, but patented by no one.

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library is a gift from the government of India to the world. It is their monumental deposit in the Universal Bank of Karma on behalf of all the citizens of India. Use this gift wisely and keep it free. So all together now; "no more yoga, no more neem we are going to fight these biopirates by going public domain, no more yoga, no more neem we are going to fight these biopirates by going public domain.

Fighting Biopiracy - The Ecologist - April, 2009

Tags: Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, India