[Fsf-friends] [OFFTOPIC] Three views on Free/Libre and Open Source Software...

[Khuzaima A. Lakdawala]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2002 08:33:43 +0530, "Dileep M. Kumar" <dileep@gmx.net> wrote:

> The current status  of Ayurveda is really in  danger. People are taking
> patents on medicinal plants, which  will prevent any body else to make
> new medicines out of it. I heard that somebody took patent on Turmeric
> which is a commonly used home-medicine.

Actually, one can't patent the naturally occuring plant itself. The
patent Dileep is referring to would either be a "process" patent or a
"product" patent. Of course, that too would be a ridiculous patent to
grant because the said "process" has been a part of traditional
(mostly unwritten) knowledge and the patentee simply formalises the
knowledge (usually using legalese which sometimes even reasonably
literate people cannot decipher, let alone adivasis who otherwise have
known about the said "process" through generations!). Unfortunately,
WIPO and its cohorts think otherwise.

> Freedom  is important  to all  range of  knowledge. It  should  not be
> limited to the computer/software freedom alone.

Absolutely. In fact, the free software cause pales when compared to
the fight for keeping traditional knowledge in the public domain and
preventing it from being hijacked through patents. The repercussions
of the latter are indeed mind boggling!