Name: Ozone Layer of the Earth
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 8 min 12 s
Description: The ozone layer is a protecting blanket that absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun, preventing them from reaching the Earth. Learn more here.

Question

We have read about how Indian scientists won the battle for patent of Turmeric and Basmati rice. Why was gaining these patents essential?

Accepted Answer

Biopiracy is the robbery of indigenous knowledge of nature, naturally-occurring biological resources, and genetic materials of one country by another technologically advanced country for commercial purposes or monetary benefits without proper authorisation or agreement, or permission from the owner. There are some examples of biopiracy regarding the Indian traditional products or plants, and they are:

Patenting of Basmati: Texmati is the patent that was taken in the year 1997 from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and granted to a Texas-based American company Rice Tec Inc for “Basmati rice line and grains”.

Haldi or turmeric biopiracy: The University of Mississippi Medical Center applied for a patent for the discovery of turmeric healing properties in the year 1995.

Dr. Vandana Shiva challenged and won the battle for the bio-piracy of Basmati, neem, wheat, and other plant and their products by developed countries and took back the patent from them. This is a very important fightback for conserving the indigenous resources or the traditional knowledge of the country. For a developing country like India, intellectual properties like plant variety, patents, geographical indications, etc., are crucial for the growth of agriculture.

We have read about how Indian scientists won the battle for patent of Turmeric and Basmati rice. Why was gaining these patents essential?

Important Questions on Biodiversity, Conservation and Environmental Issues

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