Analysis the Fight for Traditional Knowledge to Conform the Need of Documentation Relates to the 'Neem Case'

Abstract

Neem has been patented widely. There have been numerous instances of challenges to neem patent applications which have been successful to revoking the patents granted, but a number of neem patents still exist. Since the 1980s, many neem related process and products have been patented in Japan, USA and European nations. The first US patent was obtained by Terumo Corporation in 1983 for its therapeutic preparation from neem bark. In 1971, US timber importer Robert Larson observed the tree's usefulness in India and began importing neem seed to his company headquarters in Wisconsin. Over the next decade he conducted safety and performance tests upon a pesticidal neem extract called Margosan-O. In 1985 Robert Larson, a US timber importer obtained a patent for his preparation of neem seed extract and the Environmental Protection Agency approved this product for use in US market. In 1988 Robert Larson sold the patent on an extraction process to the US Company W. R. Grace (presently Certis). Having gathered their patents and clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency, four years later, Grace commercialized its product by setting up manufacturing plant in collaboration with P. J. Margo Pvt. Ltd in India and continued to file patents from their own research in USA and other parts of world.