CSIR and IP Australia Join Hands to Protect Traditional Knowledge

With access to the TKDL, IP Australia will be able to consult the database while examining patent applications under Australian patent laws and procedures.

India and Australia have taken a significant step towards protecting traditional knowledge by signing an agreement that will allow IP Australia to access India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). The agreement was signed during the 3rd India–Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne on 9 July 2026 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The agreement was among 18 major outcomes of the bilateral summit, where both countries discussed cooperation across defence, energy security, education, skill development, science and technology, filmmaking, traditional knowledge and the repatriation of cultural properties. The latest partnership reflects a shared effort to strengthen intellectual property systems while preserving centuries-old indigenous knowledge.

Digital library to support better patent examination

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library is a unique database created by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to document India's traditional knowledge and prevent it from being wrongly patented elsewhere. It serves as a source of prior art, allowing patent examiners to verify whether an invention has already been described in traditional practices or historical records.

With access to the TKDL, IP Australia will be able to consult the database while examining patent applications under Australian patent laws and procedures. The arrangement is expected to improve the quality of patent examination by helping officials identify existing traditional knowledge before patents are granted, reducing the risk of misappropriation.

The agreement also strengthens international recognition of India's efforts to protect its traditional medicinal practices, cultural knowledge and other documented heritage from being claimed as new inventions.

Shared commitment to safeguarding indigenous heritage

India and Australia both possess diverse indigenous knowledge systems and cultural traditions that have developed over generations. Many of these practices remain vulnerable to misuse or unauthorised commercial claims, making stronger international cooperation increasingly important. Officials from both countries said the agreement demonstrates their common commitment to protecting traditional knowledge while encouraging responsible innovation within established intellectual property frameworks.

The implementation of the agreement will be overseen by Andrew Wilkinson, Commissioner of Patents at IP Australia, CSIR Director General and DSIR Secretary Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, and Dr. Viswajanani J. Sattigeri, Scientist-H and Head of the CSIR-TKDL Unit. Their collaboration is expected to ensure the database is effectively used to support fair and informed patent examination while preserving valuable traditional knowledge for future generations.