India has developed a unique way to keep people from patenting and profiting from traditional medicinal remedies: it makes all that information available to everyone, for free. India recently offered to share with other countries its 34-million page database—in five languages—of the secrets of Unani, Ayurveda, Sidhha, and Yoga medicines.

In the U.S., medical information, especially the results of new research, is often considered “proprietary” and jealously guarded by those who want to make a profit from patenting and selling the information. More than 50,000 patents are granted in the U.S. annually. Many Americans have attempted to patent traditional remedies.

The gigantic Indian medicine database will help prevent people attempting to patent “new” remedies by documenting that such remedies are already in use and have been in use for centuries. The aim of this move is to ensure that all people in need of treatment are able to receive medical knowledge without having to pay an exorbitant price to one individual who now claims to “own” that knowledge.

Source: The Financial Express with contributions by AltMeds.com editorial staff.