Which Indian plants have either been patented or attempts have been made to patent them by Western nations for their commercial uses? 
A. Basmati rice 
B. Turmeric 
C. Neem  
D. Guava

In 1997, an American company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark Office. This allowed the company to sell a ‘new’ variety of basmati in the US and abroad. This ‘new’ variety of basmati had actually been derived from the Indian farmer’s varieties. The Indian basmati was crossed with semi-dwarf varieties and claimed as an invention or a novelty. The patent extends to functional equivalents, implying that the patent could restrict other people from selling basmati rice. Several attempts have also been made to patent uses, products, and processes based on traditional Indian herbal medicines, e.g., turmeric neem.