The Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (INPI; the National Industrial Property Institute), France and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) entered into a cooperation on the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) Access through an Agreement in the gracious presence of Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, DG, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR. The Agreement was exchanged by Mr. Sebastien Connan, Regional IP Counselor for India and Dr. Viswajanani J Sattigeri, Scientist-H and Head, CSIR-TKDL Unit. Through this Agreement, the INPI, France gains access to the complete TKDL database towards examining prior art related to Indian traditional knowledge for the purposes of patent grant procedure.
Speaking on the occasion, DG, CSIR welcomed the collaboration with France in the area of traditional knowledge. She encouraged concerted efforts for upcoming health care challenges. Mr. Connan while thanking India for the cooperation stated that the TKDL database would be an important instrument not only for the INPI but also for the traditional industrial entities in France. He stated that France also looks forward to strengthening ties with the CSIR for scientific pursuits in traditional areas.
The signing of the TKDL Access Agreement with the INPI, France marks the beginning of a new partnership and mutual cooperation in the domains of Intellectual Property Rights as well as traditional knowledge between France and India.
About TKDL:
The TKDL database, first of its kind worldwide, was established in 2001 by the Government of India, through a collaboration between CSIR and Ministry of AYUSH. The key objective of the TKDL is to prevent the erroneous grant of patents on Indian traditional knowledge (TK) and deter misappropriation of the country’s traditional knowledge. Currently, the TKDL contains information on over 4.2 lakh formulations and techniques of Indian Systems of Medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Sowa Rigpa as well as Yoga from the traditional texts. The TK information from diverse languages and subject areas are transcribed into value-added information correlated with modern terminologies.
The TKDL information is presented in a digitized format in five international languages including English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish, and format easily understandable by patent examiners. As per the extant approvals in place, the TKDL database is available only to patent offices through TKDL Access Agreements. With this cooperation with Danish Patent and Trademark Office, the number of patent offices worldwide that have access to the TKDL database rises to fifteen.
The TKDL is a global benchmark in the defensive protection of traditional knowledge and has been successful in protecting India’s interest against any possible misuse of its heritage. The impact has been significant, with over 265 patent applications world-over being revoked, amended, withdrawn or abandoned, based on the prior art evidences presented from the TKDL database.
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