Canada’s IP Writing Challenge - Update

MEA CULPA - earlier I today I said that there was a very short deadline until July 1, 2009 for this competition. I thought it was announced only today because I received a blast email from IPIC today. While the email and links seemed new, the subject of the email did indicate that it was a "reminder." My fault.

In fact, it was apparently announced April 6, 2009 here. Which still didn't leave a lot of time for the July 1, 2009 deadline , considering the end of term, exams, etc. But much more than the three weeks I earlier wrongly indicated.

So - consider this blog today as a "reminder" too.

Here's the basis scheme:

One winner will be announced from each of three
separate author categories:

1. Law student category (LL.B, J.D., BCL, and LL.L students)

2. Graduate student category (LL.M, S.J.D. and PhD students)

3. Professionals who have been practising 7 years or less
(patent agents, trade-mark agents, lawyers and other individuals who work in IP)

Each winner will be eligible for:

1. A prize of $1000 (CAD)

2. Be considered for publication in the Canadian Intellectual Property Review;
and/or Osgoode Hall Review of Law and Policy (OHRLP)

3. His/her work to be published on the IP Osgoode website

Here's the full information about the IP Writing Challenge.

The idea of this is a good one. There have been IP writing competitions in the past, and hopefully lessons have learned to ensure that there will be complete fairness and balance in the adjudication process, which has frankly not always been the case. There is a mechanism in place here to ensure “blind” judging in terms of the identity of the contestants. However, it will be interesting to see whether a submission that may be otherwise worthy but is considered too “copyleft”, for example, can survive whatever process and panel may be in place.

There is no specific mention about who the judges will be.The Rules state that:

All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the Challenge Sponsors. The Challenge Sponsors reserve the right to not declare a winner in any or all of the challenge categories at their sole discretion.
(Emphasis added)

Hopefully, the panel of judges themselves will reflect true balance and will be looking not only for work of high quality but work that truly reflects the concept of “Challenge”.

Let's hope that lots of students and young lawyers found out about this in time and that we get some really good papers out of it.

HK