76094 Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 70120 Legal Method and Research OR 70102 Foundations of Law
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Note
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.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Plan and analyse a wide-ranging, strategic selection of legal research to provide targeted information for advocating a position on issues of intellectual property law |
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| 2. | Evaluate and apply the principles of intellectual property law to develop original arguments in response to complex international legal issues |
| 3. | Implement multiple forms of feedback to reflect upon and improve individual and team preparation and performance |
| 4. | Develop and communicate coherent, persuasive and balanced written memorials and oral submissions in intellectual property law to reflect professional practice |
| 5. | Engage with extensive preparation and effectively collaborate with a team to successfully prepare and present a competitive moot |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following graduate attributes which reflect the course intended learning outcomes:
- Critical Analysis and Evaluation
A capacity to think critically, strategically and creatively, including the ability to:
a. Identify and articulate legal issues in context, including the skill of critical reading and writing;
b. Apply reasoning and research to generate appropriate responses;
c. Engage in critical analysis and make a reasoned choice amongst alternatives; and
d. Think creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses. (LAW.3.1) - Research skills
Well-developed cognitive and practical skills necessary to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues. (LAW.4.1) - Communication
Effective and appropriate communication skills including:
a. Highly effective use of the English language to convey legal ideas and views to different and diverse audiences and environments;
b. An ability to communicate to inform, analyse, report and persuade;
c. An ability to strategically select an appropriate medium and message;
d. An ability to assess how messages are received and alter communication strategies accordingly; and
e. An ability to be responsive and adaptive to the perspectives of collaborators, clients, counter parties and others. (LAW.5.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Strategy 1 – Independent Learning
Student independent learning is a vital learning strategy in this subject. In addition to attendance at meetings and mooting practice, students will undertake substantial work to research and prepare for moots. Students will be required to undertake intensive research that is both independent and guided by their coach and faculty advisor. Due to the breadth of resources available to students it will be imperative that each student be able to critically analyse and synthesise information and materials. By attendance at team meetings and practice moots students will have the opportunity to ask questions of their peers and coach and or faculty advisor to assist them in consolidating their own learning.
Strategy 2 – Developing Written Submissions
Students will employ their research to write submissions from the appellant and respondent. Drafts will be submitted to the Moot Coach who will provide feedback on legal analysis and matters of style, written expression, grammar and compliance with the moot rules. Students will need to respond to feedback in the preparation of further drafts and final edits.This involves both individual and cooperative work with other team members.
Strategy 3 – Practising Moots
If the team qualifies for the international rounds of the competition students will undertake two months of intensive mooting practice prior to participating in the oral rounds. Students can expect to practice at least 3-4 times each week under the guidance of the team coach. The coach will organise practice sessions before judges (including experienced mooters, former Oxford IP Moot competitors, members of the legal profession, academics and members of the judiciary) in the weeks prior to the competition. The practice moots will be a valuable experience for students to consolidate their research and writing and develop their advocacy skills. The practice moots will be an excellent opportunity for the students to receive substantive feedback prior to any formal competition.
Strategy 4 – Collaborative Learning
Teamwork and collaborative effort is an essential learning strategy in this subject. The final mark for the course will be awarded as a group mark unless there are exceptional reasons otherwise. Therefore, the contribution of each student is critical to the team’s performance as a whole and any delay in submission of memorials will result in penalties by the competition administrators to the entire team and impact on the mark and grade awarded to each student for this subject.
Students will undertake collaborative learning by attending all team meetings and practice moots and working closely with their team members in assisting each other with research and submissions. Specifically, students will work together to identify the strongest and weakest points from the memorials to use in their respective roles in preparation for the practice moots. Students will also work closely with their coach and faculty advisor to develop their written communication and advocacy skills through feedback and consultation.
Strategy 5 Ongoing Feedback
Students receive ongoing feedback during the different stages of each competition. They reflect upon their own and their team’s oral and written submissions and performance. They also receive oral and written feedback from their coach, faculty advisors and external judges during meetings, and at the conclusion of each practice moot throughout the subject. All feedback is structured to comply with the rules of the competition and formal assessments are not available until after the conclusion of the international rounds each year.
Subject Delivery
There are no formal classes in this subject, and students are expected to collaborate extensively amongst themselves.
Students are required to attend and contribute to regulate meetings with the team coach and other Faculty advisers.
The frequency and timing of meetings will vary throughout the duration of the competition and will be mutually agreed. Successful teams are fully funded by the faculty (incl. airfares, accommodation and competition expenses). Please Note: The Subject Coordinator should be the first point of contact for any questions about the administration of the subject or assessment.
Content (topics)
Topics determined by Oxford IP Moot Committee’s hypothetical problem question, which is published each year on the website https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/oxford-intellectual-property-research-centre/16th-annual-oxford-international
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Written Submissions and Reflection
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This task contributes specifically to the development of the following graduate attributes: LAW.3.1, LAW.4.1 and LAW.5.1 |
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| Weight: | 84% |
| Length: | 4000 words Part A: 3000 words Part B: 1000 words |
| Criteria: | Part A: Written Submissions (64%)
Part B: Reflection (20%)
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Assessment task 2: International Oral Submissions Bonus
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This task contributes specifically to the development of the following graduate attributes: LAW.3.1, LAW.4.1 and LAW.5.1 |
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| Weight: | 16% |
| Length: | see Further Information |
| Criteria: |
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Assessment task 3: Participating in International Rounds of Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot Competition
| Length: | The exact word count for each year is subject to the rules of the competition. The word count for oral submissions varies for each student. Requirements’ are based on the written submissions each student develops for their arguments so each student may have a different length of time to submit orally. The division of time between speakers also varies for each time an individual student will moot. |
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Minimum requirements
Students must actively participate in preparation of the written and oral submissions and attend meetings with team members, coaches, and academic advisors. All submissions need to comply with the competition rules. Failure to do so will result in imposition of penalties in the competition and impact upon the mark and grade awarded for the subject. It may also result in members being dropped from the team.
Required texts
The required text that students are expected to read on mooting is: Joel Butler and Terry Gygar, Australasian Mooting Manual (Lexis Nexis, 2nd ed, 2012).
There is no specific legal text, and materials will vary each year depending on the issues arising from the moot question.
Recommended texts
Lionel Bently, Brad Sherman, Dev Gangee, Philip Johnson Intellectual Property Law, 5th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2018)
S Ricketson, M Richardson, M Davison, Intellectual Property: Cases, Materials and Commentary, 6th ed. (Lexis Nexis, 2019)
Kathy Bowrey, Michael Handler, Dianne Nicol, Kimberlee Weatherall, Australian Intellectual Property, 2nd ed (Oxford University Press, 2015)