New Delhi: The European Patent Office has cancelled the patent on the Indian 'neem' tree which it had issued to a US multinational. The patent office had originally issued the patent to the US chemicals multinational W R Grace in 1994.

However, when they came under pressure with charges of bio-piracy from various environmental activists including environmentalist Vandana Shiva, who has been campaigning ceaseslessly against attempts by US business interests to monopolise India's traditional knowledge by patenting them, the patent office decided to withdraw it.

The dispute started more than 15 years ago on December 12, 1990 when W R Grace and the US government filed a European patent application for the 'neem' tree with the EPO.