SpicyIP Tidbit: An IP Thriller from an IP lawyer

In an exciting first for the community of intellectual property lawyers in India, Dr. Kalyan Kankanala has penned a thriller novel based, with intellectual property law in India as its central theme. We haven’t seen too many legal thrillers in the Indian market. The only author that I’m aware of in this genre of writing, is Aditya Sudarshan, an incredibly talented lawyer turned author whose first book was ‘A nice quiet holiday’. In the west however not only have we had a range for legal thrillers from professional authors like John Grisham, we have also had IP-specific novels from academics like Prof. Paul Goldstein of Stanford Law School. 

Getting back to Kalyan’s book, titled “Road Humps and Sidewalks”, the book is about a national epidemic, a cure, a doctor, a blind lawyer, a patent, pharmaceutical companies and courtroom drama. The plot line of the novel, as available on Kalyan's webpage is as follows: 

“What if the path never travelled is taken by an altruistic, young blind lawyer, Arjun, using road humps and sidewalks as sign posts, in a fight against a devious and cold blooded pharma company, totally oblivious to the perils of the nasty clash? As thousands fall prey to a deadly viral infection, a dedicated team of doctors succeed in their quest for a treatment option. But their achievement is short-lived, as the unscrupulous multi-national Berminger Pharmaceutical Corporation, deliberately creates artificial scarcity of the drug by using their patent to profit from the situation. Exasperated with the mighty corporation's stone-cold attitude to loss of lives, coupled with the government's reluctance to intervene, doctors take the fight to the court with Arjun's counsel. Set in Hyderabad, the pharmaceutical capital of India, Arjun clashes in the courtroom with India's leading patent lawyer and outside with goons and assassins.” 

You can also see a video of the plot-line in creative video available on Youtube over here. 

I’m yet to wiggle some time out of exams, blogging and assignments, to actually sit down and read the book but I certainly intend to do so. How often do you get to read an IP thriller based in India! In the meanwhile, those of you interested in reading a review of the book can do so over here on the website of the IPKat.