76094 Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot

Notes

This subject is only for students who have been selected to represent UTS Law in a mooting competition, and as per the subject description, selection is via a competitive process. Students interested in mooting, are encouraged to get involved with the program run by the Law Students' Society (LSS). More information on the LSS website.

Description

The subject offers students the opportunity to participate in the Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot for credit. The moot is held annually in Oxford, UK, over three days and is hosted by the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre. The competition invites teams from universities around the world to prepare written submissions and present oral argument on a hypothetical problem question in the field of intellectual property law.

Students analyse a problem relating to copyright, trade marks, patents, confidential information, passing off or any combination thereof. They are challenged to engage in comparative research of legal rules at national, regional and international levels, and to develop original arguments on cutting-edge issues of intellectual property. They conduct detailed and in-depth legal research on various national laws and prepare written and oral pleadings arguing both appellant and respondent positions of the case. The subject is demanding and equates to a substantial research project.

A team of two or three students is chosen following a competitive selection process. The team develops written submissions, under the close supervision of UTS academics. Participation in the oral rounds is by invitation only, on the basis of the written submissions. The written submissions are usually due in December, while the announcement of teams making it through to the oral rounds is in January. Students therefore only enrol in the subject if they are selected to compete in the oral rounds.

Teams selected to compete in the oral rounds travel to Oxford for the competition. The oral proceedings consist of four preliminary rounds, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a grand final. The grand final is held before senior members of the UK judiciary.