Saikrishna & Associates

Managing Partner: Mr Saikrishna Rajagopal
Partners: Mr Pushpam Jha; Mr Bharatvir Singh; Mr Ameet Datta; Mr Amod Singh; Ms Monica Datta; Mr Sidharth Chopra; Mr Nikhil Sahni; Mr Subodh P Deo; Mr Munish Mehra, Ms Garima Sahney, Mr Nitin Sharma, Mr Saurabh Srivastava
Number of partners: 13
Number of lawyers: 89
Languages: English, Hindi

Firm Overview:
Saikrishna & Associates, originally a Tier-1 full service IP law firm, has developed over the last few years into a general practice firm with a strong TMT, life sciences/biotech and online/ digital domain focus. Apart from its top notch IP and sector expertise, the firm’s expertise areas encompass competition law, regulatory assistance and policy reform and corporate/commercial law. The firm has played a key role in many defining IP disputes contributing to the development of IP jurisprudence in India.

Main Areas of Practice:

Dispute Resolution:
4 partners; 25 fee earners based in India.
■ Successfully represented German automobile company, Audi AG, the defendant in a trademark infringement suit filed by TT Textiles before the Delhi High Court; suit concerned the use if the ‘TT’ trade mark in relation to Audi’s well known TT sports cars; the court modified its initial ex-parte injunction clarifying that Audi was not barred from using the mark in relation to its range of TT sports cars
■ Representing Star India against online and telecom operators against providing live ballby- ball commentary, score and match updates and alerts etc., via mobile VAS, in relation to cricket matches; appeal pending before the Supreme Court which will decide whether its interim orders in favour of Star would finally be confirmed to establish a “quasi-property right” in scores and updates
■ Representing India’s largest mobile handset company, Micromax, in patent infringement case lodged by Ericsson in relation to standard essential patents in infringement suit; valuation issues, advisability of interim injunctions, customs seizures are being agitated affecting potentially the entire Indian handset Industry
■ Representing Oxford University Press, before Delhi High Court against Delhi University to establish the extent of unpaid photocopying by students and teachers under copyright law whether such use would be fair dealing covered by the private use, research exceptions in the Copyright Act, 1957
Key Clients: Star India Private Limited; Oppo Mobiles; Vivo Mobiles; Intex Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; Fox Star Studios Pvt. Ltd.; Audi AG
Contact: Saikrishna Rajagopal
Tel: +91 120 463 3900
Email: [email protected]

Commercial IP:
3 partners; 15 fee earners based in India.
■ Advised State Government of Karnataka on mobile service gateway platform for various citizen centric services/data/information platforms including drafting and negotiating agreements
■ Represented Fox Stars Studios India Private Limited in a high value deal with Dharma Productions Private Limited, for inter alia, the acquisition of the distribution rights of nine feature films
■ Assisted in broadcast acquisition arrangement for films with the Indian film superstar Salman Khan, in deal valued at INR4 billion
■ Assisted Zoetis Inc. in the acquisition of third party trademarks from multiple assignors in India- due diligence of the marks, drafting of agreements, negotiations with the assignors
■ Concluded multiple film production, finance and distribution deals (including drafting, advising, and negotiation) for Cinestaan Film Company
■ Assisted leading Broadcaster in contract for deployment of mission critical and complex digital platform
Key Clients: Star India Private Limited; Centre for e-Governance, Government of Karnataka; Fox Star Studios Pvt. Ltd.; Cinestaan Film Company Private Limited; Vishal Bharadwaj Pictures Pvt. Ltd.; NWS Digital India Private Limited
Contact: Monica Datta, Partner
Tel: +91 120 463 3900
Email: [email protected]

Competition Practice:
3 partners; 5 fee earners in India
■Representing Micromax before the Competition Commission of India in India’s first FRAND based telecom patents dispute to be investigated by Indian antitrust authorities
■Representing the Tata Housing Development Company Limited, in the CCI, in relation to cartel allegations against 20 real estate development companies under the Competition Act.
Key Clients: Micromax Informatics Pvt. Ltd.; Tata Housing & Development Company Limited; Intex Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; OPG Power
Contact: Subodh P Deo
Tel: +91 120 463 3900
Email: [email protected]

Enforcement:
4 partners; 15 fee earners in India
■Represented TV broadcaster in pan India anti-piracy campaign in relation to signal piracy issues
■Conducting anti-piracy operations for Publishers Association, UK across India as well as other countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal etc. Key Clients: Star India Private Limited; Microsoft India; Publishers Association UK; Autodesk Inc.; Business Software Alliance
Contact: Bharatvir Singh, Partner
Tel: +91 120 463 3900
Email: [email protected]