Further proof that the "ownership society" has just gone too far - India is forced into a position of recording traditional knowledge in order to prevent others from patenting Indian heritage and then selling it back to them (see Blackberry for an example of how ridiculous the patent industry has become).
Must everything, even every idea, be owned? Is there to be nothing left to the commons?
Thank you, Lianne for this interesting article!
It's good that they uptake such a project but it's really sad that they have to!!!
The TRIPS-agreement of WTO allows big companies (I mean it allows everybody, but primarly they do it) to patent plants etc. that have being used by farmers for centuries. This biopiracy makes me really, really sad!!! My hope for the future is that as many people as possible take up the practice of aparigraha (non-greed) and asteya (non-stealing) to prevent such things!
Posted by: rita | February 17, 2006 at 02:10 AM