Patent Litigation in India
Pravin Anand
Anand And Anand
MIP International Patent Forum 2011
April 5, 2011, London
The Challenges…
First, a weak Patent Law
Pre and post grant oppositions (Span case)
Rigid deadlines (4)
Section 3(d) - Novartis
Section 8 - Chemtura
Working requirements , Compulsory licence
Section 39
The Challenges…
Second, Generics, Copyleft, open-source
aggressive:
Parliamentary Forums
Judge training
Press/Blogs
No counter measures by innovators
The Challenges…
Third, top ten filers are chemistry patents
World trend: top filers are IT companies
Being an IT Power, ironic that Chemistry
leads
Generics – very patent savvy..
The Changes…
2005 Patent Amendments
CPC – Streamlining Processes
Supreme Court – 4 month orders (20 in 2010)
Delhi High Court – 70% IP cases
Docket Management
Old order – 5 to 10 years
Today – possibly 6 months to one year
e Court
Remedies Revolution
Ex parte injunctions – before launch “status quo”
Expedited trial preferred
Anton Piller, Mareva Injunctions
John Doe Orders
Damages : Punitive / Exemplary (65 orders)
Time Inc vs. Lokesh Srivastava
• Red Border contributed
to finding of dishonesty
• Punitive/ exemplary
damages granted for
the first time
Strategies
Design action before launch
• Issues : Document : Witness analysis – cannot miss
the document window in fast track
• Expert evidence of great value ( average – 2
witnesses per side, 6 hours cross, 150 ques)
• Emphasis on original documents
• Section 65 – Secondary evidence
• Section 65 B – Internet downloads
Strategies
Invalidation before IPAB
or counter claim before High Court
• IPAB slow
• High Court Fast
• May avoid cease & desist notice
Amendments allowed - infringement action
or after invalidation
Strategies
Judges Rely on foreign case law – favorable
decisions elsewhere help – gestalt perception
judges often, a third force
Generics look at prosecution histories all over –
EPO highly respected
Suppression –big cause for failure - overstate
Strategies
Demystify the science
Use the defendants patent applications for
estoppel arguments
Highlight Public Interest, pricing, patient access,
investment in drug development
Avoid Interim – move to Fast track
Cases
Novartis Gleevec Supreme Court (19th April)
Roche vs Cipla – final Arguments (April)
GSK vs Union of India – writ quashed publication
United Phosphorus – pesticide formulation – suit
decreed 34 days
20 other suits of BMS, Sanofi Aventis, Scherring
Plough etc likely to conclude in 2011
Conclusions
• Despite the weak legislation, major positive
changes
• Bulk decisions in 2011 will show the long
lasting trends
• Other high courts may be positively impacted
– time will tell..