Origin

Dr. Kalyan Kankanala conceives the idea of starting an IP firm constituted by attorneys having equally strong technology, law and business background to offer patent searching, drafting and prosecution services. He is at the time at National Law School of India University (NLS), Bangalore, pursuing his Ph.D. in Patent Law after completing his LL.M. in Intellectual Property, Commerce and Technology from Franklin Pierce Law Center, NH, USA. He approaches Arun Narasani, his childhood friend, and a graduate of IIT, Madras and IIM, Bangalore with the idea.

Following a series of discussions, Arun agrees to join Kalyan, and they decide to start the firm.

Brain League

Kalyan and Arun decide to call their firm ‘Brain League.’ They formally register a firm with the name Brain League Consultants. They start operations by offering business and technology driven patent services, trade mark services and IP licensing services. They apply for incubation at IIMB’s entrepreneurship cell, NSRCEL. Following a rigorous evaluation process, NSRCEL selects Brain League Consultants for incubation at the cell. The firm acquires its first client, a software products company, and hires its first associate. Business World features the firm in an article on entrepreneurship in India.

First Set of Clients

The firm gets its first set of patent drafting, filing and search projects. ITC, Sasken, Chirra Electronics, and Sandbox at St. John’s Hospital sign up to work with the firm.

The firm posts a profit within one year of launch and invests the entire profit into scaling up and growth.

The team size of the firm grows to 5.

Realizing the need to build IP literacy and awareness in India to improve IP filings, Brain League’s team works with National Law School of India University, Bangalore, to spread IP knowledge and teach IP skills to corporates, scientists, researchers and engineers across the country. They travel far and wide to disseminate IP knowledge and culture.

CIOL carries an article on the firm with respect to IP services for SMEs.

Takes off

Brain League Consultants is restructured and renamed as Brain League IP Services.

The firm moves out of IIMB’s NSRCEL to its own office.

By this time, the firm has 10 associates, and its client base is growing fast.

To build IP capacity within business organisations, Brain League conducts large scale IP training programs for corporate employees. The programs help many companies build IP knowledge and culture, increase IP filings, and build IP assets. Over the next thirteen years, the firm trains more than twenty thousand corporate employees. As of today, the firm and its partners have trained more corporates than any other firm in the country.

The firm starts offering IP Mining and Audit services to help clients mine unprotected IP, create inventory of protectable IP, and advice clients on IP protection possibilities and strategies. Over the following years, the firm conducts more than 100 IP Audits and helps several companies protect their IP effectively, enforce and license IP, and build financial value from their IP assets. Some of BananaIP’s IP Audit/Mining clients include UNIDO, BHEL, IIT, Madras, Sterlite, Britannia, Emerson, and Yash Raj Films. No other firm in India has the experience of performing so many comprehensive IP audits.

The firm starts offering open source license analysis, advisory and compliance services, and becomes the first firm in India to offer legal services around open source professionally. Over the following years, the firm advises and helps several clients with open source issues and compliance.

Economic Times and The Hindu carry news reports on the firm’s eLearning Tool, Value IPR, for corporates.

Funding

The firm goes for funding to grow inorganically. It sets up an office in the United States. The team size of the firm increases to 16, and the firm’s patent and trade mark portfolio continues to grow. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala’s book on Genetic Patent Law and Strategy is published and is critically acclaimed. The book is extensively cited in research papers and IP books across the world. Business Gyan carries an article mentioning the firm and its activities.

Grows Fast

The firm adds more clients, and its team size grows to 20 associates. The firm’s patent and trade mark filings increase steadily. Economic Times features the firm’s expansion plans. CXO.COM talks about the firm’s offerings in an article on managing patents and IP. Pharma Biz features the firm’s portfolio management software in an exclusive article.

5 years of IP Services

The firm celebrates 5 years of IP Services, and is recognized as a promising, new age IP firm in India. Deccan Herald talks about the firm’s offerings in an article on IP services for start-ups.

Patent and Trademark portfolio expands

The firm’s client base and patent/trade mark portfolio continues to grow. The firm’s partners, Dr. Kalyan Kankanala, Arun Narasani and Vinita Radhakrishnan write a book on Indian Patent Law and Practice. The book is published by Oxford University Press. It is highly referenced and cited by patent professionals across the world. The Hindu Business Line carries articles on the firm’s IP radio, Radio Sinapse, and the firm’s patent services. DNA cites the firm in an article on patenting yoga. Live Mint cites the firm in an article on IP for start-ups.

UNIDO selects Dr. Kalyan as Nation Expert

The firm diversifies its offerings and adds more clients.

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) selects the firm’s team as national experts on IP to conduct IP Audits and protect IP of Small and Medium Enterprises in machine tools, foundry and plastics sectors.

The firm sets up a specialized department to offer Entertainment and Sports Law Services, the first of its kind in South India.

The firm’s partners write the reference/reading material for the course on patent law and procedure offered by NLS, Bangalore. The course is attended by senior and mid-level corporate employees and lawyers.

Dr. Kalyan Kankanala’s book on genetic patent law is cited in NYU’s annual survey.

Leading IP Firm

The firm is recognized as one of the leading firms in the country. It has built a large patent and trade mark portfolio, and has acquired several patent/trade mark grants and registrations for its clients. The team size of the firm grows to 46. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala’s book on Fundamentals of Intellectual Property, Fun IP, is published by Literators Publishing. The book is very popular among scientists, engineers, business managers, and lawyers.

Restructuring

At this point, the firm has more than 900 clients, and a very large patent/trade mark file portfolio. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala and Arun Narasani decide to restructure the firm for personal and strategic reasons. They decide to part ways and form their own entities. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala’s firm is called ‘BananaIP Counsels.’ (Why the name BananaIP?) The Hindu interviews Dr. Kalyan Kankanala with respect to his book.

Formation of BananaIP

Dr. Kalyan Kankanala formally forms BananaIP Counsels.

Somashekar Ramakrishna (Head of Mechanical Patent Division) and Nitin Nair (Head of Electronics, Telecom and IT Division), Partners at Brain League, join BananaIP as equity partners.

Sanjeeth Hegde, a leading Entertainment Law and Technology Licensing attorney, joins BananaIP Counsels as senior partner.

BananaIP has six departments specializing in different technology and business areas such as mechanical, automotive, electronics/telecom, Bio/pharma, entertainment and consulting.

The Hindu cites BananaIP’s partner in an article on patent rush.

Indian Express cites BananaIP in an article on intellectual property status in India and US concerns.

Telegraph quotes Dr. Kalyan Kankanala in an article on publicity rights.

Expansion

Vinita Radhakrishnan, an experienced pharma patent attorney, joins BananaIP Counsels as Senior Partner. Her addition consolidates and fortifies the biosciences and pharma department of the firm. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala is appointed as a member of the advisory board of Journal of IP Rights. Indian Express cites BananaIP’s senior partner in an article on patent spending.

Consolidation and Growth

BananaIP consolidates its team and continues to grow. The firm’s patent, trade mark and design portfolio grows fast. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala is appointed as advisory board member of the Centre of Excellence in IP and Standards.

Social Media Law and eCommerce Law Services Launched

BananaIP start offering social media law and ecommerce law services. BananaIP’s partners are empanelled as IP facilitators for start-ups by DIPP, Government of India. As a part of the program, they help start-ups draft and file patents and trade marks without charging any professional fee. The Hindu cites BananaIP’s senior partner in an article on patent devices. Forbes India quotes BananaIP’s senior partner in an article on patent filings by start-ups.

AI driven Patent Technology

BananaIP develops first of its kind AI and Machine Learning driven tools to review, monitor and analyse the IP files and portfolios of its clients for better budgeting, planning and timeline management. BananaIP builds a novel portfolio management tool to manage its fast growing IP portfolio. DNA quotes BananaIP’s senior partner in an article on pharma patents. Pharma Bio World carries an article written by BananaIP’s senior partner.

BananaIP completes 15 years of IP Services

In its 15 year journey, the firm has:

• Built the best team of Senior Partners in India
• Worked with more than 600 clients
• Handled more than 20, 000 projects/files
• Developed novel technology to augment its service offerings
• Launched super specialized IP Offerings
• Played an important role in building IP knowledge and culture in India
• Contributed to IP research, law and policy making in the country
• Published 10 IP books and thousands of articles
• Launched Intellepedia, which is ranked among the top 10 IP blogs in the world

Because of its accomplishments, BananaIP is today recognized as a premier, new age IP firm in India. It is ranked among the top IP firms, reputed for its work quality, innovative models, and technology/business driven services.

A Year of Growth, Progress and Out Reach

BananaIP launches an international patent department. The firm’s patent and entertainment clients grow significantly compared to the previous year. IEEE, Economic Times, etc., carry Dr. Kalyan Kankanala’s IP articles. Success and Ability carries a story on BananaIP. The firm’s Sr. Partners delivered talks at IIM-A, IIM-B, KSCST, NLSIU, DST and other premier institutions. BananaIP’s Intellepedia seminars on specialized IP topics are well attended and appreciated. The firm’s blog is once again ranked among the top IP resources in the world. BananaIP joins the Open COVID Pledge and offers free patent filings for pledge adopters.