V K Unni

V K Unni

Designation

Professor
Academic Group: Public Policy and Management

Contact

Phone No.: +91-33- 24678300 to 8306 Extn. 767
Email ID.: unniv

Biography

Personal Details:

Fax +91-33-24678307 Alternate E-mail: krisunni@rediffmail.com

Contact Details:

Office: M-203, New Academic Block, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata 700104 (India) Fax: +91-33- 24678307 E-mail: unniv@iimcal.ac.in / krisunni1@gmail.com

Academics

Academic Background:

Ph.D. in Intellectual Property Law from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad;
Master of Laws (LL.M- specialisation in Intellectual Property Law); (MGU)
LL.B (5 year course) : Government Law College Thiruvananthapuram, University of Kerala

Courses Taught:

Courses at Doctoral and Post Graduate Level Doctoral Program Courses 1) Intellectual Property Protection : National and International Perspectives 2) Legal Framework of Corporate Transactions 3 )Fundamentals of Legal Systems Post Graduate Program (PGP) Courses 1) Managing the Legal and Regulatory Environment of Indian Business 2) The Business of Intellectual Property 3) Indian Legal System Post Graduate Program for Executives (PGPEX) 1) Regulatory & Legal Environment 2) Capital and Forex Market Regulations Post Graduate Program for Executives for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing (PGPEX-VLM) 1) Regulatory - National and International

Awards:

Awarded Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship for the term 2016-17 by "Center for The Protection of Intellectual Property", George Mason University, Virginia (US) Awarded Max Planck India Fellowship for the term 2008-11 by Max Planck Society, Germany (first and only awardee outside the stream of natural sciences) Other honours Research done on Patent Law cited before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the landmark case of Lexmark v. Impression as part of the amicus brief filed by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association Research done on Indian position dealing with Protection of Know-how cited by the European Commission in its Report on Knowledge Transfer Article on Internet Service Provider liability cited by the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva) in its Report on Cybercrime Legislation Article on Open Source licensing cited by Cornell Law Review Delivered upon invitation the prestigious "MIPLC Intellectual Property Lecture" at Munich in 2010 and 2011 organised by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, details at http://www.miplc.de/research/lecture-series/ Member, Board of Editors (2015 onwards), Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Delhi) Published in top international journals in the field of Intellectual Property / Information Technology Law covered in the rankings of Australian Research Council, Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Journal Quality list, Washington & Lee Law Journal Ranking, SCImago Journal Ranking and Google Scholar Research contributions/articles have been cited/quoted in highly renowned Law Journals like the Cornell Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, Georgetown Journal of International Law, Hastings Law Journal, Law and Contemporary Problems, Northeastern University Law Journal, Emory International Law Review, Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review, International Review of Law, Computers and Technology, John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law, Southwestern Journal of International Law, Information and Communications Technology Law, Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology, Journal of Information, Law and Technology, Santa Clara Journal of International Law, Tulane Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, Colorado Technology Law Journal etc Reviewer of articles/materials/contributions for 1) The Journal of World Intellectual Property (Wiley) 2) "International Journal of Intellectual Property Management" - IJIPM (Inderscience, Geneva) 3) "Vikalpa : The Journal for Decision Makers" (Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad) 4) "Indore Management Journal" (Indian Institute of Management, Indore) 5) Oxford University Press, 6) Pearson Education Mentor, Global Writing Workshop and Research Colloquium for Young Scholars, organized by Jindal Initiative for Research on IP and Competition , (JIRICO), O.P. Jindal Global University, August 2017 Member, Research Group (2010-13) on TRIPS Compliance of Domestic Patent Regimes and Its Impact on Innovative Activity in Pharmaceutical and Electronic Industries undertaken by The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York Guest Research Fellow, under Science India Program awarded by Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law, Munich October 2011 Scholar-in-Residence (March 2011), School of Law, University of California-Davis Principal Contributor (2007-08) from India on the project titled The Treatment of Know-how in International R&D Co-operations commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Germany Member-Technical Committee, International Conference on "Management of Intellectual Property Rights and Strategy" organized by Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay (2014) Consultant (2006) for the project titled First Analysis of the Personal Data protection Law in India undertaken by CRID (Research Center for I.T. and Law) University of Namur, Belgium on behalf of the European Commission Alumnus (2006) of the "International Visitor Leadership Programme" established by the United States Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) Washington D.C. Visiting Faculty (2006- ) Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur Visiting Faculty (2009- ) NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad Invited speaker to deliver lectures at various programs organised by prestigious institutions like University of California-Davis, University of Freiburg (Germany), Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law, BMW Foundation, Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, Munich Intellectual Property Law Center, IIM Ahmedabad, National Law School Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, NALSAR Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, UNCTAD, NUJS Kolkata, University of the Pacific-Sacramento, IIT Bombay, Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy Hyderabad, National Academy of Direct Taxes etc

Consulting Interests:

Program Director of various customized management development programs conducted for ONGC, GAIL (India) Ltd., Oil India Ltd., Coal India Ltd., Ministry of Finance (Govt. of India), Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (Govt. of India) , HPCL etc which were held in India and abroad Co-ordinated /consulted on various programs dealing with Intellectual Property Law , Banking & Finance Law sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, Reserve Bank of India, Herbert Smith LLP, Munich Intellectual Property Law Center, National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (ICAR) Joint Program Director, Training Program on Contract Management and Arbitration for ONGC Managers, IIM Calcutta ( 9- 13 October 2012 ) Joint Program Director, Training Program for GAIL Managers, IIM Calcutta 10-14 September 2012 Joint Program Director, Training Program for GAIL Managers, IIM Calcutta 27-31 August 2012 Joint Program Director, Training Program for GAIL Managers, IIM Calcutta 23-27 July 2012 Joint Program Director, Training Program for GAIL Managers, IIM Calcutta 2-6 July 2012 Joint Program Director, Training Program for GAIL Managers, IIM Calcutta 25-29 June 2012 Joint Program Director, Training Program for GAIL Managers, IIM Calcutta 19-23 March 2012 Joint Program Director, Training Program on Contract Management and Arbitration for ONGC Managers, IIM Calcutta ( 2- 6 March 2012 ) Joint Program Director, Training Program on Contract Management and Arbitration for ONGC Managers, IIM Calcutta ( 27 November - 2nd December 2011) Joint Program Director, Training Program on Contract Management for ONGC Managers, IIM Calcutta (13-17 September 2010) Joint Program Director (2010- ), Executive Program in Global Business Management, IIM Calcutta Joint Program Director (2011- ), Executive Program in International Business, IIM Calcutta Joint Program Director (2012- ), Executive Program in Corporate Regulations: Legal and Business Implications, IIM Calcutta

Experience

Work Experience:

Previous Experience

Associate Professor, Public Policy and Management Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Management Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
Assistant Professor - Intellectual Property Law, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
Lecturer of Law: NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
Fellow- IPR, National Innovation Foundation (Dept. of Science & Technology, Government of India) Ahmedabad

Research

Journal Publications:

Conferences:

  • International (Select Conferences as Speaker/Panelist)
  •  Pharmaceutical Ever-greening and Enhanced Efficacy under Indian Patent Law: Exploring the Scope for a Broader Interpretation, Texas A & M University Intellectual Property Scholars Round-table, Fort Worth, 27 September 2019
  •  Evolution of Interim Arrangements in Standard Essential Patent Litigation: Experience from India, Fourth Annual Intellectual Property Mosaic Round-table Conference, University of New Hampshire School of Law, Concord, New Hampshire (US) 25 October, 2018
  •  Agro-Biotech Patenting in India: Lessons from the Monsanto Litigation, Texas A & M University Intellectual Property Scholars Round-table, Fort Worth, 5 October 2018 
  • Emerging Intellectual Property Issues in Automotive Sector, Second Asia Pacific Workshop on Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition, National Law University Delhi, 5 February 2018
  •  India’s Tryst with TRIPS: Evidence and Experience from the First Decade, Texas A & M University Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable, Fort Worth, 13 October 2017
  •  Workshop on "Protection of Intellectual Property" at Austin-Texas, organised by Center for Protection of Intellectual Property , Antonin Scalia Law School- George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia (US), January 2017
  •  Workshop on "Protection of Intellectual Property" at Orlando-Florida, organised by Center for Protection of Intellectual Property , Antonin Scalia Law School- George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia (US), April 2016
  •  Workshop on "Protection of Intellectual Property" at San Diego- California, organised by Center for Protection of Intellectual Property , Antonin Scalia Law School- George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia (US), March 2016
  •  Indian Judiciary's "Non-FRANDly" Approach on Standard Essential Patents, Texas A & M University Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable, Fort Worth, (USA), 8 October 2015 
  • Pharma Patent Settlements & Competition Regulations: Perspectives from India, Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable, Drake University Law School, Des Moines (USA), 27 March 2015 Viewing Compulsory Licensing of Pharmaceutical Patents through the Lens of Public Policy, Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable, Drake University Law School, Des Moines (USA), 28 March 2014 
  • Panelist, International Conference on TRIPS Compliance of Domestic Patent Regimes and Its Impact on Innovative Activity in Pharmaceutical and Electronic Industries, The Earth Institute, Columbia University (New York), 18-19 September 2012 
  • Evolution of a TRIPS Compliant Patent Regime: Learning from the Indian Experience, Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable, Drake University Law School, Des Moines (USA), 30 March 2012 
    Contextualizing Patent Linkages in Indian Pharmaceutical Sector: Lessons from the Bayer Corporation Case, MIPLC Lecture Series at Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law, Munich (Germany), 25th October 2011 
  • Panelist, International Conference on TRIPS Compliance of Domestic Patent Regimes and Its Impact on Innovative Activity in Pharmaceutical and Electronic Industries, The Earth Institute, Columbia University (New York), 24-25th May 2011 
  • Speaker : Viewing the Indian Pharmaceutical Landscape through a Patent Prism, Center for Science and Innovation Studies, University of California-Davis, 15th March 2011 
  • Speaker : The Impact of Human Rights Norms on the Law of Intellectual Property, Symposium on The Global Impact and Implementation of Human Rights Norms, Pacific McGeorge School of Law-Sacramento, 11th March 2011 
  • Speaker : Changing Trends in Indian Intellectual Property Litigation: POST 2005 Analysis, Asia Roundtable, Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law - Munich, 25th October 2010 
    Speaker Harnessing Intellectual Property for Business Dominance : The Indian Experience, MIPLC Lecture Series at Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law, Munich (Germany), 11th October 2010 
  • Panelist, "TRIPS Compliance of Domestic Patent Regimes and Its Impact on Innovative Activity in Pharmaceutical and Electronic Industries" undertaken by The Earth Institute, Columbia University (New York) 25-26th August 2010 
  • Session Chairperson on "Corporate Governance, Accountability and Stakeholder Participation", at the "International Conference on Convergence of Corporate Governance Norms" organised by Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law (RGSOIPL), IIT Kharagpur on 5th September 2009 
  • Keynote Speaker, "Innovation in India: Current policy Trends", Munich, Lecture organised by BMW Foundation (Germany) 16th May 2008
  • Speaker on "Ambush Marketing: The Indian Experience" at the "Indo-German Conference on Intellectual Property Law" organised by Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg 14th May 2008 
  • Speaker on “WTO TRIPS Agreement – The Indian Experience” at the “5th Shanghai IP Forum on The Impact of the WTO TRIPS Agreement on Economic Development of Asian Countries”, organised jointly by Stanford Law School and State Intellectual Property Office of China 26th October 2007 
  • Speaker “Mapping the Intellectual Property Landscape: Case-study of India” at the “Regional Capacity Building Program for Intellectual Property Law” organised by National University of Singapore, 7th July 2007 
  • Speaker on “Travails of the Harvard Onco-Mouse” at the “International Conference on Impact of TRIPS, INDO-US Exchange”, organised jointly by Oklahoma University (Norman), Michigan State University and NALSAR 13th December 2006 
  • Speaker on “Protection of Geographical Indications: Demystifying the North- South Dichotomy, “International Seminar on Intellectual Property Education and Research”, organised jointly by WIPO Worldwide Academy (Geneva), Munich Intellectual Property Law Center and NALSAR 16th November 2006 
  • National Seminars/ Conferences (Select ) 
  • Speaker, V Annual IP Teaching Workshop 2016, National Law University Delhi (New Delhi), 31 March 2016 
  • Speaker, IV Annual IP Teaching Workshop 2015, National Law University Delhi (New Delhi), 14 February 2015 
  • Speaker, Global Internet Governance and Advocacy Conference, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, 6 April 2012 
  • Speaker : Workshop on Protection and Utilisation of Public Funded Intellectual Property Bill, Microsoft Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Property Research and Technology Policy, IIT Kharagpur, 10th January 2011 
  • Speaker, Max Planck-NUJS Workshop on Innovation, Creativity and Intellectual Property Policy, organised by National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) Kolkata, 20th November 2010 
  • Speaker, Workshop on "Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises" organised by RGSOIPL, IIT Kharagpur, 23rd June 2010 
  • Panelist, National Consultation on "Patent Pooling and Access to Knowledge: A Case-study of Biotechnology with Reference to India", The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi on 21st April 2010
  • Speaker at the National Awareness program on ‘Industrial Design Registration and Protection’ jointly organised by National Institute of Design-Ahmedabad and Office of the Controller General Patents, Designs and Trademarks (Government of India), 20th March 2010
  • Speaker, Round Table on "Protection of Traditional Knowledge /Traditional Cultural Expression - Evolving a Sui- Generis Model for India", organised by MHRD Chair on IPR, National Law School of India University Bangalore, 25th January 2010 
  • Speaker and Doctoral Colloquium Advisor, “1st IPR Researcher’s Confluence on Spearheading IPR in India - An Agenda for Research”, Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSOM), IIT Bombay, 21-22nd December 2009 
  • Speaker for the "Workshop on Geographical Indications" organised by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) India Project at Kohima on 26th November 2009 
  • Speaker for the Workshop on "Emerging Intellectual Property Trends in Information Technology" organised by Microsoft Centre for Excellence in Intellectual Property Research & Technology Policy, IIT Kharagpur, 22nd October 2009 
  • Speaker "National Seminar on Geographical Indications : Where Do Indian Interests Lie?" organised by the Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi on 25th September 2009
  • Panelist "Roundtable on Public Funded Patents & Technology Transfer: A Review of the Indian Bayh-Dole Bill' organised by the MHRD Chair on IPR, National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata on 12th September 2009 
  • Invited Speaker on "Emerging Legal Issues in Patenting of Computer Software" at the “Induction Program on IPR” organised by IIT Kharagpur, 8th July 2009 
  • Speaker on “Governmental Use Exceptions in Copyright Law”, at the “National Conference on Limitations & Exceptions in Copyright Law”, organised by MHRD Chair on IPR, Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT), 14th May 2009 
  • Speaker on "Emerging Legal Issues in IP Due Diligence" at the "National Seminar on WTO – TRIPS with Special Reference to Transactional IP Issues”, organised by MHRD Chair on IPR, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, 2nd May 2009 
  • Speaker on "Overview of the Information Technology Act-2000" at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, 20th August 2008 
  • Speaker on "Copyright Jurisprudence in the Digital Age” at the “MHRD-AICTE Induction Program on IPR” organised by RGSOIPL, IIT Kharagpur, 4th July 2008 
  • Speaker on "Fundamentals of US Patent System” at the “National Conference on Intellectual Property Rights” organised by IIT Kanpur, 29th February 2008 
  • Speaker on “Patents and Public Policy: The Rhetoric and the Reality” at the “National Seminar on Industrial Property” organised by EU-India TIDP and Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT), 25th January 2007

Research Interests:

  • Intellectual Property Law / Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Legal & Regulatory Framework of Business Transactions, Capital Market Regulations including Takeover Code, IPO Regulations-ICDR, Delisting of Securities, Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Private Equity/ Venture Capital Funds, Contract Management, FEMA Regulations/ Law, Law dealing with Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures etc

Books/Book Chapters:

Articles/Cases:

  • The Union Budget and the Central Bank Digital Currency Speculating on the Shape of Things to Come, Vol. 57, Issue No. 13, 26 Mar, 2022 (co-authors Partha Ray, Debashis Saha)