Statement of Purpose

Rahul Sud
Master of Laws in Intellectual Property, Commerce and Technology (LL.M.)

Statement of Purpose
India is fast emerging as favorite destination for corporate to invest their money. World commerce
today is ruled by companies who have created and protected their intellectual property. The
advent of internet has lead to a state of global economy, wherein the world is shrinking into a
single unit. All these technological advances have created a huge demand for lawyers in India
having specialized knowledge in the domain of intellectual property and technology laws.
The Indian economy underwent a sea change post 1995. The internet has revolutionized the
consumer culture in India. The consumer confidence index is touching new highs when it comes
to using technology. Whether it is booking air tickets online, internet banking, online shopping, etc
Indian consumers are on an e-buying spree. The Government of India on the other hand is also
promoting internet usage to a great extent. Some of these initiatives include making tax fillings,
maintaining land records, submitting company papers to Registrar of Companies, etc. Some
State Governments have in-fact made provisions for completely eliminating paper based
Government records. The internet now in India is deep rooted even in the remotest part of the
country.
The advent of technology and its use has proved to be a blessing in disguise both for the
individual users and criminals alike. As part of Asian School of Cyber Laws I have witnessed a
steady growth in the cases pertaining to Cyber Crimes. Intellectual property and Technology
Laws, as a field, has always fascinated ever since I have worked as a part of research team,
which was engaged in the formation of Rules under Information Technology Act, 2000.
I have never been complacent about the extent of knowledge that I possess. Constantly setting
new goals that will stretch my mind into something new and allowing every experience to shape
me, has been the way of my life. In my second year of college, I, along with my teammates, filed
three Public Interest Litigations before the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay, India. The issues
raised in these litigations were- safety of commuters of railway, compulsory wearing of headgear
by the two wheeler riders.
As a students when I studied Information Technology Act, 2000(IT Act) I realized that the IT Act
provided for appointment of Adjudication Officers for adjudicating civil wrongs and that these
officers were not appointed even after 2 years since the IT Act was enacted. I along with my
friends filed a Public Interest Litigation before the Mumbai High Court, pursuant to which

appointment of Adjudication officers were made throughout India. Preparing briefs and arguing
real cases helped me to refine my drafting, analytical and presentation skills.
The challenge of researching and analyzing an unknown subject is the most enjoyable part of
academic life. In my third year of college, I conducted extensive research into and analyzed
judgments of Medical Negligence cases at all levels of consumer fora and regular courts in India.
This research was finally complied into the Medical Negligence Case Reporter.
This comprehensive compilation of 114 judgments is a unique work on the subject, since 1996 the year when doctors were brought within the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. This
book was released at the hands of a Senior Advocate of Supreme Court of India, Shri Ram
Jethmalani (Former Minister for Law, Justice and Company Affairs), in the presence of Hon'ble
Mr. Justice Y.V. Chandrachud (Former Chief Justice of India), Hon'ble Mr. B.K. Taimini (Member,
National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi) and various other eminent
personalities of the legal and medical fields.
From very beginning, I had a flair for writing. In addition to the book on medical negligence and
drafting of Public Interest Litigations, I have also authored an article concerning rights of H.I.V.
infected persons. This article was published in, 'Medico-Legal Times' journal, which is a regular
feature at Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences. I have also authored an article on Law of
Equity. This article was published in All India Reporter (year 2003), which is one of the leading
and largest circulating law journals in India.
Latest article that would add to the above list is an article captioned, Uniform Domain Names
Disputes Resolution Policy High Time for A Review published in Manupatra August 2007
edition.
I always maintained a very good academic record at my college. I have scored 2 nd rank in college
in my fourth year and In my final year I stood 9th in the order of merit in Pune University.
Transitioning from academia to the professional world, I interned for four months -with Rajinder
Narain & Co., New Delhi Fox & Mandal, New Delhi and AZB & Partners, Bangalore. All these
firms have established themselves both nationally and internationally in their respective areas of
practice.
Working on real cases and researching on complex issues of law equipped me with immense
exposure and experience, which is very essential to enhance my competence as a lawyer. My

work at these firms exposed me to some of the realities of law such as the legal atmosphere, the
commitment and initiative required, and the diversity of the work. Whether helping research,
correcting dictation, or observing the proceedings in court, I was pleased to have participated in
the legal process. In addition to my affinity for research and writing, my work experience has
confirmed my desire to learn more about the law.
In my fourth year, I was selected as a member of a research team, which assisted Asian School
of Cyber Laws in drafting a rule under Section 87(2)(s) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The said rule related to the procedure to be adopted for investigation of misbehavior or incapacity
of the Presiding Officer of the Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal, established under the
aforementioned Act. The Ministry of Communications and Technology, Government of India
sponsored this project. Presently, this rule has been notified by the Central Government and is in
force.
In a society where new laws are enacted frequently, the need to conduct specialized study in an
area of law is very important to learn the intricacies of the subject. Along with my regular studies, I
have earned diplomas in Labour Laws & Labour Welfare and Consumer Protection Laws.
Involvement in college activities was another rewarding adventure that challenged me in ways I
never thought it could. In my fifth year, I organized and headed a group that was engaged in
providing free legal aid to the poor and illiterate masses.
At the free legal aid camp organized by our college, we voluntarily undertook to perform a street
play, educating people about various social issues relating to ill treatment of women, dowry,
punishments provided for these acts under various legislations, etc. Through our play we
highlighted the importance of girl child education in the modern world. The toughest part of this
play was to penetrate the mindsets and biases of illiterate people, who are reluctant for a change
and unwilling to give up their orthodox beliefs. The presentation of the social message and the
efforts of our group were widely appreciated by our college, local authorities and the local media.
Immediately after completing my law studies I was absorbed by Asian School of Cyber Laws
(www.asianlaws.org), Pune, a pioneer institute which has been always in forefront of providing
innovative course to the students. As a faculty for Asian School of Cyber Laws I handled papers
relating to Intellectual Property Laws, Cyber Laws and Cyber Crime Investigation.
I also worked as a member of Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) of Asian School of
Cyber Laws. As a member of CERT team I had an opportunity to conduct forensics analysis for a

number of cyber crime cases and this helped me to understand how the cyber criminals execute
their attacks.
While working as a member of CERT team I got immense hands-on experience on real time
cyber crime cases and I learnt about producing digital evidence in the court of law. At this juncture
I realized that a formal technical training would add on to my skills and thus I was encouraged to
take up Masters of Science in Information Technology Degree, which I am presently pursuing.
I was also honored with an opportunity to address law students of Government Law College,
Mumbai, Indian Law Society, Pune, M.S. Ramaiah College of Law, Bangalore, B.M.S Law
College, Bangalore, Bishops Cotton Women Law College, Bangalore, CMR Law School,
Bangalore.
I was even invited for guest lectures by some of the most prestigious management institutes in
India to deliver a lecture on Cyber Crimes- Methodology and Consequences. Few amongst them
are National Institute of Business Management (NIBM), Pune National Insurance Academy (NIA),
Pune, Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI), Bangalore.
Asian School of Cyber Laws provided me with an opportunity to work closely with the law
enforcement agencies in India and we conducted training programs for Direct Taxes Regional
Training Institute, Mumbai, Nashik Police and Pune Police. In addition to these training programs,
we have also conducted a Corporate Training program in Cyber Crime Investigation for Fidelity
Investments, Bangalore India.
Within a short span of one year I was elevated to the position of Bangalore Center In-charge,
wherein I was also entrusted with additional responsibilities of managing the entire Bangalore
center operations.
In conclusion, the three pillars of law school and legal practice--research, analysis, and writing-are the activities that I enjoy the most. I hope to pursue the LL.M course from your university and
take it as an opportunity to develop my most cherished professional characteristics. My analytical,
critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, will help me become a competent attorney, and I look
forward to embarking on this next stage of my career.