In order to replace people-centered conservation models with models that
utilize traditional knowledge and community involvement in conservation, the Global
Coalition for Bio-Cultural Diversity established The Working Group on Intellectual
Property Rights in 1990. This group brought together scientific organizations,
environmental organizations, and indigenous peoples (Posey and Dutfield, 1996). The
group came to the conclusion that the legal means available to invoke intellectual
property rights (IPR) protection are insufficient to safeguard the cultural, scientific, and
intellectual resources of indigenous peoples, as well as their traditional knowledge,
after holding multiple conferences, seminars, and workshops with human rights and
indigenous peoples' organizations. IPR is becoming more of an issue than it was at
first. As a result, Traditional Resource Rights (TRP) have become an effective means
of identifying many “Bundles of Rights” concerning the maintenance, recompense, and
defense of the rights of indigenous people. In this chapter, we will discuss the many
ways that the nation might benefit from the discovery of novel TRP-related compounds
and their isolation, as well as the legal IPR protection regimes for MAPs and the
separated active ingredients. In India's rich history, medicinal and aromatic plants
(MAPs) have been utilized for ages to enhance general well-being, health, and
attractiveness. India is also blessed with the biggest array of traditional herbal medical
plants and remedies. The Indian medicinal systems of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani are
engrained in our civilization. Ayurveda, which has been practiced for around 5000
years, uses mainly preparations and formulations created from medicinal herbs.
Additionally, around 25% of drugs in contemporary pharmacopeia have botanical
origins. These prototype molecules, albeit they have synthetic counterparts, comprise
the majority of current pharmaceuticals. They were extracted from plants. In the
present day, the conventional medical system is seeing a spectacular rebirth.
Keywords: Intellectual property rights, Medicinal plants, Traditional medicine.
