 "Pune-based entrepreneur files criminal case against IAN, Zippr; both deny allegations")
“Zippr has built its proprietary location encoding technology independently to solve the core address infrastructure challenges of the country. Zippr has never spoken to the company in question or its representatives, nor was it aware of their work until we received a clarification request from them in June 2015. The lawyer evaluated the case and found it factually incorrect,” stated an Indian Angel Network (IAN).
Founded in 2013 by Aditya Vulchi, Hyderabad-based Zippr creates eight-digit alphanumeric codes as alternatives to traditional addresses to provide precise locations on a digital map. It raised $1 million (Rs 6.6. crore) in the first round of funding from IAN.
Kunden, the founder of LastMile Digital Solutions, has filed a criminal complaint against IAN and Zippr for breach of trust and misuse of confidentiality. In the complaint, he alleged that IAN passed on his intellectual property to Zippr. However, Zippr claimed they had never spoken to the company.
In a statement, founder Vuchi said: “The allegations are completely baseless. Zippr has built its location-encoding technology independently and has never spoken to the company representative nor was aware of his work.”
He added: “Subsequently, our legal team reviewed the matter, evaluated the merit of this accusation and found it to be devoid of any substance. We have also filed a pre-grant opposition questioning the company representative’s novelty and sent the required notice to him in September 2015 to which there was no response. We intend to pursue the matter seriously and take necessary legal action.”
Over telephone, Kunden told Business Standard the patent for his technology named Digital Locational Solutions was filed in October 2010 at the Indian patent office.
He said he had started working on the technology in 2009. “The rule is that post the synopses published at the patent office there is a 120-day window for objection to be raised. No one raised any objection then.” After that, the company entered the India Innovation Initiative competition organised by the government and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
Of the 650 participants LastMile Digital won the fourth prize. “Incidentally the event is sponsored by IAN. After the event a representative of IAN approached me and asked me to if we were looking for funds,” said Kunden.
Kunden said he then corresponded with IAN. After a few days they wrote back asking for the technical and commercial details of the project. “We submitted all that he asked for. We spoke only once after that and then they stopped corresponding. I thought they are not interested in funding, which was fine with me,” he added.
The correspondence reportedly started in December 2012 and ended sometime in January 2013.
While IAN did not fund Kunden, he claims that in a few months after that Zippr was founded and IAN invested Rs 6 crore.
Kunden also said he wrote an informal mail to IAN and Zippr in June 2015. In July, Kunden received was from lawyers of Zippr asking for four weeks time to respond.
“I have been working on this technology since 2009. Because I have not got my patent, I have not filed for IPR infringement. It will take six to nine months for us to get the patent. Till then I choose to file a criminal case against IAN and Zippr," he said.
