The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), the innovative tool to prevent misappropriation of traditional knowledge belonging to India at international patent offices, is in the process of expanding its access agreements with more countries and will also add one lakh more formulations of Indian streams of medicines to the existing library.

The TKDL already has signed TKDL Access Agreements with countries like USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan Germany. Negotiations are under way to conclude the Access Agreement with Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand and some other countries, sources disclosed.

Under the agreement, examiners of patent office can utilize TKDL for search and examination purposes only and cannot reveal the contents of TKDL to any third party unless it is necessary for the purposes of citation. TKDL Access Agreement is unique in nature and has in built safeguards on non-disclosure to protect India’s interest against any possible misuse.

TKDL is also planning to include additional one lakh formulations from Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Another move is to make it available to publically funded research and development institutions for promoting research in the field.

As of now, the TKDL has transcribed 150 books, containing 2,83,873 formulations. As many as 75 books from Ayurveda, 10 books from Unani, 50 books of Siddha and 15 books of Yoga were included. 96,781 Ayurveda formulations, 1,63,174 formulations of Unani and 22,264 Siddha formulations are among them.

TKDL is a collaborative initiative between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Ayush as a maiden Indian effort to prevent misappropriation of traditional knowledge belonging to India at International Patent Offices.

Beginning in July 2009, CSIR has identified 5000 patent applications at International Patent Office’s which concern Indian Systems of Medicine and TKDL evidences have been filed at pre-grant stage under relevant provisions at these Patent Offices in more than 1073 cases. Success has been achieved in 137 cases where the patent applications have either been withdrawn/ cancelled/ declared dead/ terminated or have the claims amended by applicants or rejected by the Examiner(s) on the basis of TKDL submissions.