Achievements

SpicyIP has come a long way since its inception in 2005. While pursuing the objectives of improving the quality and accuracy of IP reporting in India, increasing transparency in Indian intellectual property rights policies and institutions and fostering the growth and creation of a wider meritocratic IP profession in the country, the blog has earned recognition world-over. The enthusiastic, sincere and dedicated participation of the team of bloggers as well as readers of the blog has resulted in SpicyIP emerging as one of the leading repository of IP law for India.

From making it to the front pages of leading Indian newspapers to regularly and successfully running campaigns for increasing transparency, SpicyIP has received accolades in abundance.

Some of the significant achievements are:

• SpicyIP’s criticism of broad-based John Doe orders was noted and well-received by the Bombay High Court in a John Doe order passed in 2016.
• SpicyIP was cited in the The Economic Survey of India, the flagship annual document of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in 2018.
• SpicyIP was included in Managing IP’s annual list of the 50 most influential people in IP in 2011 and 2014. Our late founder and chief mentor, Prof. Basheer, was included in this list in 2019 and 2015.
• SpicyIP was listed as the 8th most popular IP/IT blog in the world by Barry Sookman in 2013. It is the only Indian IP/IT blog that made it to this list.
• SpicyIP was ranked 3rd in a list of top patent blogs for 2018 by James Yang of OC Patent Lawyer on IPWatchdog and 5th in the same list by him in 2011. It was ranked 4th in the list of top 50 patent blogs in the world by Gene Quinn of IPWatchdog in July 2009 and 8th in his list of top 25 patent blogs in the world in February 2009.
• SpicyIP was ranked 3rd in the list of top 15 IP blogs published on BuzzFeed in 2017. The note on SpicyIP reads as:

“This Indian blog was founded by Prof. Shamnad Basheer in 2005, and is run by analysts and fellows who are dedicated to providing incisive posts in the field of intellectual property rights, with the website being constantly updated with regular posts to reflect the ever-changing world of intellectual property rights. With a great user-interface, the blog is a pleasure to navigate, providing the latest news in the field of IPR in India and around the world, with in-depth analytical pieces as well. The blog also has interesting opinion pieces and posts by experts, breaking down complex concepts, issues and judgments pertaining to intellectual property rights. Further, the blog also contains a space dedicated to career opportunities in the field of IP as well as events such as conferences and workshops. The blog covers a range of topics- from copyright and patents to trademarks.”

• SpicyIP has been featured in BananaIP’s list of world’s best IP blogs in 2015 as well as in 2016.
• SpicyIP is ranked 7th in Feedspot’s list of top 60 Indian law blogs and websites and 8th in its list of top 100 IP blogs and websites in the world. It is also ranked 8th in its list of top 50 copyright websites and blogs and 9th in its list of top 75 business law blogs and websites. 
• Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen too has appreciated the blog for breaking down IP issues into accessible language, yet not losing its delicate nuances.
• SpicyIP has been included by Lexis Nexis, the leading global legal publisher, as a top IP resource from India.
• SpicyIP has been included as a top IP resource by the US Library of Congress.
• SpicyIP has been included as a top patent blog in the ABA listings of blogs.
• SpicyIP is constantly quoted as a leading resource on IP in India by many sources. Illustratively, it was featured in an article titled ‘Bloggers drive India’s IP Regime’ in the Business Standard, a leading business newspaper from India.

“…. As the [Indian] government went into a tizzy over reports that some yoga postures had been patented in the US, he [Shamnad Basheer] cleared the air by writing on his spicyipindia.blogspot.com that actually they were just some yoga accessories. These are just two instances of how bloggers are contributing to India’s transition to the new patent regime…”

• SpicyIP posts are regularly picked up by other media sources and blogs. The IPKat, a leading IP blog from the UK notes:

“The exciting and well -informed Spicy IP blog is one of the best things to have come out of India in a long time. It has a strong team of writers and a wealth of lively and controversial subject-matter to discuss.”

• SpicyIP regularly runs campaigns to increase transparency in Indian IP law and policy. In 2007, it petitioned the Prime Minister of India to have an online database of patents. The petition alleged that such a database would aid in the more transparent functioning of the Indian Patent Office, and help make it more accountable. This petition garnered more than 300 signatures. The Government of India responded by stating that a database would be ready by the year 2009. This campaign ended successful with the launch of various online IP databases that are now used frequently by the Indian IP community. IP Watch, a reputed international IP publication reported as below:

“IP law blog (“blawg”) Spicy IP has sent a petition to the India Patent Office (IPO). Citing India’s status as an information technology leader and its emerging role as a patent “trendsetter” for the developing world, the petition calls on the IPO to “create a comprehensive database” of patents, including full specifications and claims. It also asked that the IPO to “upload patent office decisions,” which are currently confidential, in order to foster transparency and public accountability.”

• The blog exposed the non-transparent manner in which the Indian Government sought to introduce a Bayh Dole style legislation. Here again, the popular media picked up this story. With increasing media pressure, the government made this bill public. As one can appreciate, the blog enables public discussion of IP developments in the country.
• The blog also sought to expose a case which suggested high level collusion between the patent office and a patent applicant. This blog reporting caused an internal investigation at the patent office. A leading newspaper in India, Mint picked up on this and reported that:

“SpicyIP, run by a team of patent experts worldwide, in a recent blog had highlighted that “HUL’s allegations, if proven true, will put the patent office in a spot, as the facts suggest a high level of collusion between the office and Eureka Forbes.”