From
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2009/08/25/ArticleHtmls/25_08_2009_101_009.shtml?Mode=0
Vedic Maths which has gone West.
In the last mentioned case, an American is actually claiming an ancient Vedic maths formula is his own discovery.
Causing all the commotion is a retired American pharmacist, Albert Clay, who claims that he has recently come up with a formula to multiply any number by any other number mentally.
Clay has even gone so far as to copyright the method.
But when the attention of the Vedic Maths Forum of India (VMFI), was drawn to Clay's claim and copyright, they reacted with indignation.
Affirms Gaurav Tekriwal, a Vedic mathematician and the founder-president of the VMFI,
"This formula -- the Crosswire method of multiplication - belongs to India and has been used by Vedic mathematicians for innumerable years now.
We have records to prove that it is Indian."
Gaurav declares, "We are taking up the case of challenging his copyright."
He has started an online petition for this cause and has got a huge response from scores of other like-minded people.
Sivananda Rani Abhiraman, a mathematics teacher in the city says,
"Vedic maths makes calculations simpler, and it is very much an Indian concept.
There are many people who're passionate about this, and we shouldn't allow it to be copyrighted in the US."
Observers note that the recurrence of this problem has its roots in a lack of awareness.
KP Satish Kumar, partner, Ojas Law firm, states, "Indians have to be proactive about copyrights and patents."
When it comes to the controversy over the Vedic Math formula,
Satish expresses an opinion which many will echo:
"I personally believe that the case would be much stronger if the government of India challenges the copyright and supports the cause of the Vedic Maths forum."
Related posts:-
http://vedicmathsindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/retired-us-citizen-copyrights-vedic.html
http://vedicmathsindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/india-fights-for-vedic-math-copyright.html
