Traditional Knowledge And Cultural Expressions: The Missing Link In India's IP Regime

INTRODUCTION

India is one of the countries that can boast of both diversity in terms of culture and ecology and the composites of accumulation of the knowledge and ingenuity passed over centuries and built by the indigenous people. There is something so valuable which is Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) such as medicinal systems such as Ayurveda and Siddha, folklore, music, textiles, crafts and agricultural practices. Contrary to the popular perception of them being remnants of the past, these elements are living and dynamic systems, which define the identification of community, spirituality, means of livelihood and intergenerational survival. But legal systems with which measures exist to give protection to creativity and knowledge, especially Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are ill-adapted, to identify and protect these types of collective and cultural heritage.