Published on October 2026 | Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on Intellectual Property Rights

Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights: Protection, Biopiracy, Benefit Sharing and the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library

This book chapter examines the relationship between traditional knowledge (TK) and intellectual property rights (IPR), focusing on the protection of indigenous and local community knowledge, biopiracy, access and benefit sharing, and the role of India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). It discusses the limitations of conventional intellectual property systems in protecting collective, intergenerational knowledge and explains the importance of legal, institutional, technological, and community-based mechanisms for preventing the unauthorized use and commercialization of traditional knowledge.