How India's Ancient Knowledge Was Stolen By The West

In 1995, two American researchers patented something every Indian already knew — that turmeric heals wounds. What followed was a global legal showdown that changed the history of intellectual property forever. This is the unbelievable true story of how Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar and a small team of Indian scientists took on the US Patent Office — and won. Their victory not only reclaimed India’s ancient knowledge but also exposed how India's Ancient Knowledge was being Stolen By The West via something called Bio-Piracy. From turmeric to neem to basmati rice, India’s native knowledge was being quietly claimed by the West — until one man fought back and built a system that the whole world now uses to protect its heritage.

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📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

1. Primary / Government Sources
- U.S. Patent No. 5,401,504 — Use of turmeric in wound healing, filed by Suman K. Das and Hari Har P. Cohly, 1995.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) — official revocation notice, August 13 1997.
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) — case summary and legal filings related to the turmeric patent challenge.
- Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) — official documentation, Ministry of AYUSH & CSIR.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) — archives on “Protection of Traditional Knowledge” and India’s TKDL initiative.

2. Academic & Scientific Papers
- Mashelkar, R. A. (1998). Intellectual Property Rights and the Third World. World Patent Information.
- Dhar, B., & Chaturvedi, S. (1998). Biodiversity and Intellectual Property Rights: Emerging Issues for Developing Countries. RIS for Developing Countries, New Delhi.
- Gupta, A. (2002). Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights: The Indian Experience. Journal of World Intellectual Property.
- Swaminathan, M. S. (2000). Ethics and Equity in Biotechnology. The Hindu & Current Science.
- World Bank / WTO Reports (1999–2003): Biopiracy and Access to Genetic Resources: The Indian Experience.

3. Media Articles & Documentaries
- India Today (Sept 8 1997) — “Patents: India Wins a Victory Over Turmeric but the War Is On.”
- BBC News (1997) — “India Wins Turmeric Patent Case.”
- The Hindu (1997) — “Turmeric Patent Revoked by US.”
- Outlook India (2022) — “Turmeric Biopiracy: How India Fought Back.”
- Down To Earth (2001) — “Biopiracy: Patenting Life and Culture.”
- The Wire Science (2021) — “The Man Who Fought to Protect India’s Traditional Knowledge.”
- Documentary: “The Turmeric Story”, CSIR / Vigyan Prasar (Doordarshan, 2000).

4. Images, Footage & Archival Material
- Archival photos of Raghunath Mashelkar — CSIR & TKDL archives.
- U.S. Patent Office imagery — Public domain (USPTO building / documents).
- Newspaper scans (The Hindu, India Today, 1997).
- TKDL demonstration visuals — Ministry of AYUSH & WIPO press kit (open use). Receive SMS online on sms24.me

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