Generally speaking, traditional knowledge is the knowledge systems embedded in the cultural traditions of regional, indigenous, or local communities. Therefore, it is also called as indigenous knowledge or local knowledge. It is considered as a part of the collective ownership of the community and is transmitted across generations through traditional ways. We can find the traditional knowledge in wide variety of context such as; agricultural, biodiversity – related knowledge, ecological, medicinal knowledge, scientific, and technical knowledge.
Traditional knowledge has been passed for years orally from generations to generations. The inventions based on the traditional knowledge can be protected either as a patent, trademark or a geographical indication. However, such traditional or indigenous knowledge, which was the basis for such invention, are not generally protected under the conventional forms of intellectual property rights.
Significance of traditional knowledge has been developed drastically in the recent years in view of its increasing values in the field of biotechnology and herbal. It is difficult for assessing the value of the products derived through the research carried out based on the indigenous knowledge. Hence, in consideration of the growing significance of the traditional knowledge in the economy as well as health sector, protection of the indigenous knowledge is a necessity and, a part of the value created by protecting the local knowledge shall be transferred back to the actual authors (indigenous people) of such knowledge.
Submitted a detailed proposal to Government of India along with possible options to protect the traditional knowledge in India.