Finalists for Oxford International IP Moot Court Announced

The Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre will host the 14^th Annual Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot on March 17^th – 19^th, 2016 at Pembroke College.

This year’s moot had a record number of forty-eight entrants.  Written submissions were received from sixteen countries around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United States, and throughout the United Kingdom.  Twenty-four of these teams have been invited to participate in the oral phase of the competition. This year’s moot problem revolves around the issue of “ambush marketing” and teams will be arguing in front of the Supreme Court of Erewhon, the apex court of a fictional jurisdiction. All teams will be required to participate in four preliminary rounds over two days where they will make submissions as both the Appellant and Respondents.  Eight teams will progress to the knock-out rounds.  The panel for the Grand Final is traditionally composed of three eminent judges, known for their work in the field of Intellectual Property Law.  Lord Justice Kitchin, Lord Justice Floyd, and Mr. Justice Birss have once again accepted our invitations to judge the Grand Final this year.

At the close of the preliminary rounds on Friday 18th March 2016, we will hold our annual IP Conversazione: an interactive speaker and dining event. This year’s Conversazione on the theme of “IP and Sport: On the Same Team?” will be moderated by Mr Justice Carr.  A panel of diverse speakers from within and outside the law will explore issues raised by the Moot problem.  The panel will include: a prominent figure in sports broadcasting, a well-known professor of intellectual property law, a distinguished sports law practitioner, and a special guest with expertise in a business very closely related to the moot problem.  At dinner, speakers, panelists, mooters, moot judges, coaches, sponsors and other guests intermingle at assigned tables, and between courses representatives of the tables pose questions to the panel speakers.

The following teams were invited to compete in the oral phase of the moot:

• Boston University School of Law
• Brunel University London
• Bucerius Law School
• George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.
• Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• King’s College London
• National Law School of India University, Bangalore
• National University of Singapore
• Osgoode Hall Law School
• Queen Mary University
• Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
• Tsinghua University
• University of Bern
• University of British Columbia
• University of Cambridge
• University College London
• University of Hong Kong
• University of Liege
• University of Malaya
• University of New South Wales
• University of Ottawa
• University of Oxford
• University of Sheffield
• University of Windsor, Ontario

For further details please visit the IP Moot page.