International Intellectual Property Moot 2008
The delights of the English weather failed to dampen the spirit of the 23 teams who attended the 6th International Intellectual Property Moot this year at Worcester College in the University of Oxford.
This annual event, the biggest ever in the history of the competition, was a great success. Teams came from across the world to compete in what is a recognised highlight of the IP calendar.
The initial rounds, judged by experienced IP practitioners and academics, were strongly contested, with the Queensland University of Technology, University of Edinburgh, National University of Singapore, University of British Columbia, University of Hong Kong, University College Dublin, University of Aberdeen and University College London progressing to the quarter finals.
The semi-finals were even more closely fought. The Canadian team from UBC managed to pip Edinbugh at the post, while the Singaporeans also narrowly triumphed over the team from Hong Kong.
Lords Justices Mummery and Jacob and Mr Justice Floyd sat as the Supreme Court of Erehwon to judge the final between the University of British Columbia and the National University of Singapore to a standing room only house in the splendid surroundings of the Linbury Room at Worcester College. After hearing each mooter, the Court gave its unanimous judgment, with the three judges each giving the court's reasons on different aspects of the case. All remarked on the high standard of mooting and congratulated both finalist teams on their stellar performance. The award for best mooting team was given to the National University of Singapore, represented by the all-women team of Liu Zeming and Nuraisah Ruslan. Matthew Canzer and Sarah Ng from the University of British Columbia were runners-up. Both teams were then privileged to a private wide-ranging seminar on law and advocacy with the three judges.
The prize for best written submission went to Niall O'Huiginn and Garry Wynne from University College Dublin. The Sir Nicholas Pumfrey Memorial Prize for Best Individual Mooter was presented to Ben Fraser of the Queensland University of Technology. Special prizes for advocacy were awarded to Alvin Yu Hin Cheung (University of Hong Kong), Emmanuelle Lanfray and Marjorie Teisseire (Université de Nantes), Mohamed Shamir Zavahir and Viran Fernando (Sri Lanka Law College) Niall O'Huiginn and Garry Wynne from University College Dublin and Simon Bradshaw (University of Edinburgh). The Organising Committee's prize for the team that best embodied the spirit of the moot went to Steven Fletcher and Ross Cronie from Liverpool John Moores University.
All the mooters stayed in college for the duration of the moot. They were thus able to mingle and make new friends, helped by an entertaining pub quiz on the Saturday night, expertly run by Simon Pritchard and Simon Sellars, two previous mooters and OC members who continue supporting the event even now since they have gone into practice.
The Gala Awards Dinner on the Sunday evening with 110 people feasting within the stately Hall of Worcester College brought the weekend to a fitting climax.
The Moot Competition has increased in size and stature each year, thanks largely to the support of sponsors, who give generously in money and in the time and effort they put into judging the written submissions and the oral arguments over the two-day event. The large group of students and lawyers who acted as clerks throughout the weekend is also owed a special vote of thanks. The Organising Committee of Laura MacPhee, Stephanie Cummings, Shawn Carrington, Alison Slade, Maxine Vaver, Sophie Palmer and Karen Clayton also put in endless hours to ensure the event ran without a hitch and, as importantly, that a good time was had by all. The feedback from mooters and judges alike shows that something is being done right!
Sophie Palmer
Chair of the Organising Committee
Keble College