Traditional knowledge and medicinal plants of India in intellectual property landscape

摘要

Medicinal plants and herbal drugs are gaining interest of common people worldwide due to their distinctive benefits. According to definition given by WHO "Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combinations". In developing countries medical institutes have begun to discover and file patents on medicinal plants and their derivatives. Expanding scale of R&D sectorof herbal research and manufacturing units in India indicate the possible potential of developing new processes and products. In recent past, patenting activity related to cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and asthma in India and abroad has increased. A majority of herbal patents applications and grants in India are with individual inventors. In the age of IP protection and patents, the protection of innovation, knowledge and practice of traditional and indigenous medicines is very necessary for developing countries.