Re:can this be true? (Score 2, Interesting)

Yes it can be true!! This is not the first time some greedy businesses from US have tried to do this, some of them even tried to patent the use of Neem tree that has been a traditional knowledge in India for thousands of years. When Indian Govt objected to a patent that was granted to USDA and WR Grace, the multinational WR Grace said that the prior use of Neem has not been documented in a scientific journal!!! Benefits of Neem tree are well documented in Indian traditional medicine known as Ayurveda and the Neem tree itself has cultural significance in many parts of India. Read about this dispute in Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem. I am sure the same multinationals are searching the rain forests and tropics to patent the medicinal use of a tree or a plant that has been a traditional knowledge for generations.