Preparing Mechanisms for Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Iran Utilizing the Experiences of India

Traditional knowledge is a kind of science and experience that has been gained after many years of experience in indigenous and local communities in certain geographic regions. With the increasing expansion of trade exchanges in the international arena, the need to support this knowledge is felt more than ever. The efforts of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, which began in 2000 with the aim of drafting an international document for the protection of traditional knowledge, has continued, and various countries have, in parallel, taken actions in their domestic law to support traditional knowledge. In Iran, the Intellectual Property Policy Council is also preparing a draft law to support traditional knowledge. This research seeks to see if Iran can use India's experience in supporting traditional knowledge in legislative and implementation. The result of this research is stated Since India has taken actions in supporting traditional knowledge from many years ago and has achieved some success both domestically and internationally given the historical, cultural, and legal affinities of India and Iran, its experiences can be useful in the field of legislation and more than that, the establishment of mechanisms for the collection and consolidation of information and protection of Iranian traditional knowledge as one of the richest sources in Asia. Looking at India's experiences in developing and implementing the traditional knowledge system, this research offers suggestions for developing and implementing the mechanisms of this issue in Iran, including the method for collection and maintaining traditional knowledge databases.