New Delhi, A study released today documents how traditional knowledge of a medicinal plant known only to an indigenous tribe in India was mishandled by the Indian government.

Government and corporate actions resulted in the loss of the plant to the world, even to the indigenous people to whom its value was originally known.

The study, written by Dr. Mohan Dewan, covers this unfortunate chain of events from both a practical and legal perspective in, Socioeconomic Changes Effected by Intellectual Property Rights - the Indian Perspective.

A tribe of 20,000 individuals known as the Kani in the southern state of Kerala orally passed from generation to generation the medicinal value of the plant known as Aarogyappacha.

When Indian scientists learned the value of the plant, the uses of its compounds were licensed to a biotech company who made and sold products in India and the U.S.

However, in subsequently implementing questionable Indian intellectual property laws, all parties lost the value of the plant, even the country itself.

Dr. Mohan Dewan, a patent and trade mark attorney and litigator for more than 35 years, is owner of the Indian firm R.K. Dewan and Company. Previously, he was Department Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Department of the University of Natal in South Africa.

Dr. Dewans study is published today on the website, http://beyondthefirstworld.com.

The paper is an extract copyrighted from the forthcoming book (Routledge, September 2010) entitled Intellectual Property, Innovation, Management in Emerging Economies edited by Ruth Taplin and Alojzy Z. Nowak. For further information concerning the book, please contact Dr. Ruth Taplin; ruth.taplin@btinternet.com

Notes to Editor

Beyond the First World is a nonprofit project established in March 2010. Its mission is to contribute to international economic growth and development by improving the management of intellectual property and technology transfer through publication of news and best practices.