CSIR and IP Australia sign agreement on access to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
CSIR and IP Australia signed an agreement on access to India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library at the India–Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne on 9 July 2026, taking the number of patent offices with access to 18.
Summary
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and IP Australia signed an Agreement on access to the CSIR Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) at the 3rd India–Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne on 9 July 2026, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and PM Anthony Albanese. IP Australia will use the TKDL database to find prior art while examining patent applications, helping prevent patents on India's documented traditional knowledge. With this agreement, 18 patent offices now have access to TKDL under non-disclosure agreements. Background: TKDL was set up in 2001 by CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH as the world's first database for the defensive protection of traditional knowledge; it holds over 5.2 lakh formulations and practices from Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga in five international languages.
Key facts
- Signed
- 9 July 2026, Melbourne (3rd Annual Summit)
- Parties
- CSIR and IP Australia
- Purpose
- Prior-art search to stop wrong patents on Indian traditional knowledge
- Patent offices with access
- 18 (under NDAs)
- TKDL set up
- 2001, by CSIR and Ministry of AYUSH
- Content
- 5.2 lakh+ formulations; Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, Yoga
- Languages
- English, German, French, Japanese, Spanish
- Impact
- 375+ patent applications revoked/rejected/amended/withdrawn
Practice MCQs 3 questions
India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library access agreement of July 2026 was signed between CSIR and which Australian body?
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Correct answer: B — IP Australia
CSIR and IP Australia entered into the TKDL access agreement during the 3rd India–Australia Annual Summit.
After the July 2026 agreement with IP Australia, how many patent offices have access to the TKDL database?
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Correct answer: D — 18
With the signing of the Agreement with IP Australia, eighteen patent offices now have access to the database under NDAs.
Consider the following statements about the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL): 1. It was established in 2001 by CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH. 2. It holds information on over 5.2 lakh formulations and practices in five international languages. 3. Hindi is one of the five languages in which TKDL is made available to patent examiners. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: C — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the five languages are English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish.