Traditional Knowledge Systems — Landmark Events

Landmark Events

Turmeric Patent Case (S. Chander v. University of Mississippi Medical Center)

1997

This was a landmark case where the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) successfully challenged a US patent granted for the wound-healing properties of turmeric. The…

Neem Patent Case (W.R. Grace & Co. and USDA)

2005

Following a challenge by India's CSIR and others, the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked a patent granted for a fungicidal product derived from neem seeds. The EPO ruled that…

Basmati Rice Patent Case (RiceTec Inc. v. Government of India)

2001 (resolution of initial dispute)

RiceTec, a US company, was granted a patent on 'Basmati rice lines and grains' in 1997, which India viewed as an attempt to misappropriate its traditional Basmati varieties.…