From Søren Bisgaard
How wonderful if we could all chew Namibian sticks to prevent cavities and gum disease
(11 March, p 5).
However, in light of the more than a dozen patents taken out by US and
Japanese companies on chemicals derived from the Indian neem tree (
Azadirachta indica) since 1985 and the attempts of these foreign companies
to get control of the production in India, where the many beneficial effects of
the neem have been known and used since ancient times, I cannot but wonder when
the Namibians will be declared thieves of trade-related intellectual property
rights.
Kyoto, Japan
