From Yoga Patents To Pharmaceutical Patents
from the locking-up-history dept
Last week when we wrote about sign spinners sending off their special spinning techniques to the patent office, one of our readers reminded us that Bikram yoga had been copyrighted -- a topic we had discussed a few years ago. However, with nearly perfect timing, the NY Times has an article noting not just that Bikram yoga has been covered by copyright, but that there are currently 150 yoga-related copyrights, 134 patents on yoga accessories and 2,315 yoga trademarks. The author then goes on to discuss how folks in India are getting increasingly upset about this, since almost all of those things are based on Indian traditions from long ago that clearly shouldn't be protected by new intellectual property laws. In fact, the author writes about how the concept of intellectual property is almost antithetical to yoga. He then goes on to note that the same is actually true for many of today's pharmaceutical patents -- that are really based on well-known benefits of various herbal remedies that have been around for as long as anyone can remember. The author points out that 2000 patents are issued each year on reformulations of traditional Indian remedies. It's an interesting comparison of the ridiculousness of locking up yoga behind intellectual property laws. Too many people assume that pharmaceutical patents actually help bring more good into the world, when there's increasing evidence that they're actually being used to lock up important remedies and make them more expensive, actually decreasing the ability to make people healthy. While many people can see the immediate ridiculousness of locking up yoga moves, it's nice to see someone at the NY Times recognizing the same may be true about pharmaceuticals as well.
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US Patent office violating TRIPS
If the USA Patent office continues to issue patents on things without determining whether they are new or involve an inventive step USA is in violation of TRIPS.
India could argue it's has a right to ignore US drug patents as retaliation. That would probably be a good thing given that drugs are increasingly discovered outside of the USA now.
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Silly India...
Also, patents cover improving on an existing product to the point that it provides "significant" functionality changes to the original product. Though, these are very few and far between.
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New legislation needs to be passed soon, and the whole IP process needs to be re-evaluated. Companies are exploiting it.
This IP goldrush/land grab needs to stop. I liken these troubles to Eminent Domain.
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Also, could you tell me of drugs that are increasingly being discovered outside of the USA? Which ones are those? Fewer and fewer drugs are being discovered outside of the US, much to the EU's disappointment.
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Then why is the US copying their remedies?
From the story:
"he author points out that 2000 patents are issued each year on reformulations of traditional Indian remedies. "
India may not be exporting their medicine to America, but that's the artificial barriers you've introduced, even medicine from Canada can't be directly imported!
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Most drugs (outside of biotech drugs) are reformulations of natural substances. Thats the way the industry works, looking at natural substances and seeing how refining them can affect the body.
Drug discovery is actually pretty cheap, producing the drug is usually pretty cheap, the tough part is getting the drugs through clinical trials.
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Re:
For the most part drugs are cheap to research and produce yet they cost outrageous prices. Where is all that money going or is the same as the gas/oil inudstry?
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Re: Yoga Patents compared to Drug Patents
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IP is being misused. Creativity and development as many have said here, is being slowed down because of this! As IronChef said, it must be reviewed.
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Ridiculous
What is next, patent of “Surya Namaskar”, no may be “Breathing”, na na may be “Drinking of water”.
Yog is not just an exercise or aerobics, it is a way of life. It is the just one small part of the whole science but the corporations and other individuals are selling just the minute part of the whole science for monetary benefits. The very idea that I would have to pay someone for license to sit in “Shirsh Aasan” or what is known as Lotus position of sitting, is crazy. How can something which was invented thousands of years ago, and is mentioned in Hindu scriptures be Intellectual property of someone?
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Thoughtless
Next thing expected would be a patent for religions and decades of tradition. What is part and parcel of some religion, and what was transmitted through ages in a traditional Guru - Shisya (Teacher - Disciple) relationship cannot be patented and sold out to people in packages.
There are a thousand ways to make money in this world. Why someone has to steal somebody else's legacy and tradition. And Why it has to continue through generations that invaders still steal from from my country.
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Yoga
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Re: Re: Yoga Patents compared to Drug Patents
Please read the post and the article. Yoga has not been patented. Indeed, Yoga could NOT be patented. Even if it could be patented, how would you ever enforce the patent?
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Re:
At least with respect to patents, they are being confused. Yoga is NOT being patented. Read the post and the article.
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Re: Ridiculous
Read the post and article again. Yoga is NOT being patented.
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Karma Candy
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