India Foils Colgate-Palmolive Bid to Patent Nutmeg Mouthwash

[manindra]

India had foiled an attempt by consumer goods giant Colgate-Palmolive to patent a mouthwash formula containing herb extract by citing ancient texts that show it was traditionally used in ancient medicinal practices. Traditional Knowledge Digital Library of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR-TKDL) had submitted proof in the form of references from ancient books, which said the herb and its extracts of Myristica Fragrans were used for oral diseases in Indian systems of medicine. In addition, other third party observations also made submissions against the claims.

Meanwhile, various institutions of CSIR filed applications for 14 patents in India and for 22 abroad in the month of April 2015. Out of these one (1) patents were granted in India and 14 abroad.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=123342&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[sorcerer]

Good job CSIR-TKDL

30 characte

 

[sorcerer]

Good job CSIR-TKDL

30 characte

 

[pmaitra]

Good job. A bulk of the patents in the west are frivolous and lack any merit. They are just minor tweaks to existing formulae and offer no significant benefit, except for profit for the producer.

I want to ask @jouni, whether it is fair to assume that such a patent would have been granted in Finland?

 

[hit&run]

U Turn theory by Rajiv Malhotra !! Plenty has been digested and made their own with systematic weaning off the reference by a good period of Time.

 

[jouni]

Good job. A bulk of the patents in the west are frivolous and lack any merit. They are just minor tweaks to existing formulae and offer no significant benefit, except for profit for the producer.

I want to ask @jouni, whether it is fair to assume that such a patent would have been granted in Finland?

Patents are meant to protect your novel intellectual property, if they do that, they are valid. This patent would not have been granted in Finland; we have no nutmeg, we would have told Colgate to patent birch bark and sap instead. When grinded together and mixed to pine resin, they make good tooth paste.