35 nations want to emulate India's digital library model

Representatives from over 35 countries, including Jamaica and Kenya, have expressed interest in emulating India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) project that helps in protecting the country's traditional knowledge.

The TKDL is aimed at protecting traditional knowledge as well as ensure that wrong patents are not granted.

People from different countries expressed interest in during the three-day conference on TKDL, which concluded here last week. It was organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

TKDL's Senior Advisor and Director V K Gupta told PTI that representatives of over 35 countries who participated in the conference have expressed interest in the project.

Once they make the proposal (for emulating TKDL) formally, the government would consider the same, he said.

 TKDL has information relating to more than 2 lakh medicinal formulations in ayurveda, unani and siddha in five international languages.

Among the countries that participated in the conference include Jamaica, Kenya and Maldives.

Kenya Copyright Board's Helen Koki, who took part in the conference, said TKDL is a very useful system.

"We are very interested to have similar system in Kenya and I would be discussing the concept with concerned authorities to take it forward," Koki added.

A participant representing Jamaica, Bernard Jankee said the concept of TKDL is really good.

"... We are eager to have such kind of model to protect traditional knowledge in our country. I will recommend to the Jamaican authorities to consider emulating TKDL," Jankee noted.

He is part of African-Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank, that works towards protecting that nation's cultural heritage.

TKDL is a project between CSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.