Is Traditional Knowledge Digital Library A Success?

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the performance of Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) in the protection of traditional knowledge and the interests of the indigenous people. The core of the paper is to analyze the various problems which are associated with TKDL. These problems are divided into five broad groups, these groups are Problem of treating traditional knowledge as property, Substantive Legal Problems, Procedural Problems, Problem of the Closed Access Model and lastly the Economic problems. Of all these problems the first one is against the idea of TKDL itself while the others are trying to find fault with the structure and working of TKDL. After analyzing all these problems the conclusions which emerge are that there is a need to find a balance between utilization of resources for the protection of the rights of the traditional communities so that they are empowered to ensure that their knowledge is not abused and utilization of resources for a TKDL because this database will play an important role in protection of the rights of the traditional communities once it shortcomings have been overcome.