Protecting China's national treasure

摘要

The very nature of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) poses serious challenges in patenting intellectual property. Unlike modern medicines, which are based on newly discovered, developed or isolated chemical compounds, TCM prescriptions typically consist of mixtures of well-known plant or animal extracts. Moreover, these recipes are public knowledge, having been recorded in ancient books, and are therefore ineligible for patents in areas where a compound's novelty is a prerequisite.