It is with immense pleasure and pride that we inform you that our founder, Prof. (Dr.) Shamnad Basheer has been identified as one of the 50 Most Influential People in IP 2019 by Managing IP (MIP) for his outstanding contribution to the world of IP. This is the second time he has been included in this annually published list, the first time being in 2015.
The list is divided into 5 categories, namely, industry leaders, IP authorities, notable individuals, public officials and judges. The individuals category includes 11 people, one of them being Prof. Basheer. His entry reads as follows:
“The work of late Shamnad Basheer….cannot go unnoted. The scholar and writer was well known on the IP circuit and taught at various universities including George Washington University in Washington, DC and Kolkata’s National University of Juridical Sciences. His passing this year reminds us, however, of one of his most significant contributions to IP – his intervention in the landmark patent case in 2013 of Novartis v Union of India & Others. The Swiss pharma company had taken its attempt to patent the cancer-treatment drug Gleevec (imatinib), which is also sold by generic drug makers at a lower price, all the way to India’s Supreme Court. Basheer argued against Novartis’ attempt – for which he won many plaudits. According to Indian legal news website Legally India, this was the first time an academic had intervened in a case in India. Not just a highly intelligent man but also a kind-hearted, caring man, Basheer founded Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education, a programme that empowers students from under privileged backgrounds to pursue a career in law. Basheer was also the founder of the popular SpicyIP blog, covering IP law developments in India…”
The only other Indian who has been included in the list is Justice Ravindra Bhat, who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court. As noted by Prashant in his post here, Justice Bhat “has made an extraordinary contribution to Indian IP jurisprudence through cogent and well-reasoned judgments” during his tenure as a judge of the Delhi High Court. In particular, his entry makes a reference to two significant judgments delivered by him. The first is the one in Roche v. Cipla (2008) wherein Roche was refused an interim injunction on the grounds of public interest. The second is the one in Monsanto v. Nuziveedu (2018), wherein Monsanto’s Bt cotton patent was declared invalid under Section 3(j) of the Patent Act which prohibits patenting of plants including seeds. This is the second time that Justice Bhat has also been included in this list, the first time being in 2010.
The other Indians that have made it to the previous editions of this annual list include Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay High Court (2015), Justice Prabha Sridevan (former IPAB Chairperson and Madras High Court Judge) (2012, 2013 & 2015), P.H. Kurian (2009 & 2010) and Chaitanya Prasad (2014) (former Controller Generals), Nirmala Sitharaman (former Commerce Minister), Javed Akhtar (2011), Lalit Mahajan of J Mitra & Co. (2011) & SpicyIP (2011 & 2014).
The entire list is available on the MIP website here, though unfortunately it can be viewed only by subscription (or its trial).