EU to Protect India's Traditional Knowledge

The European Patent Office (EPO) has, in principle, agreed to make a conscious effort to block anyone from stealing patents on India's traditional knowledge in medicine. This will ensure that instances like the patenting of turmeric's medicinal property in the US, does not occur in the 30-member superstate. India had, earlier, spent $ 6 million to bust the US patent on turmeric. A non-disclosure agreement between the union science and technology ministry and the EPO is expected soon, which will give EPO access to a digital database of at least 136,000 traditional Indian medicines.
The Economic Times