Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Siddha System of Medicine

Abstract

The Siddha system of medicine (SSM) is an ancient system that is practised in Tamil Nadu in South India and in other Tamil speaking regions of the world. SSM focuses on addressing the root cause of the disease rather than treating the disease symptoms, and combinations of herbs, medicinal plants, animal and marine resources go on to make the required drugs. In the current scenario where (a) pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to bio-prospecting to get useful leads and (b) side effects caused by the pharmaceuticals are generating interest in research on the scope of personalized medicine, it is important that the various intellectual properties concerning SSM is protected on an urgent basis. The People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) is an ideal solution to the issue of economic and knowledge losses due to biopiracy and lacuna in protecting the intellectual property in SSM. A well documented PBR is an intellectual property registry of a village/region and would facilitate in appropriate sharing of benefits acquired from exploitation of bio-resources of a region.