INTA’s Asia-Pacific Moot Court Arrives in India

INTA’s Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition was hosted for the first time in India, at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, February 8–9. The event, which has previously been held in Singapore, marked an important expansion of INTA’s commitment to foster legal education and intellectual property (IP) awareness across the Asia-Pacific region.

Designed to introduce law students to key international trademark and unfair competition law issues, the Competition serves as a training ground for the next generation of IP practitioners. Participating teams of students engaged in brief writing and oral arguments rounds, presenting arguments on a fictional case in a simulated courtroom setting.

This year’s moot problem revolved around core trademark and unfair competition law principles, including trademark infringement, deceptive similarity, prior rights, and reputational harm. The arguments required competitors to grapple with phonetic and visual similarity, market overlap, and the impact of brand recognition in a highly competitive marketplace.

The brief submission round attracted participation from 39 law school teams across the Asia-Pacific region. After a rigorous evaluation, the top 20 teams advanced to the oral arguments rounds, where they competed in successive elimination rounds, culminating in the finals on February 9. The Competition saw intense advocacy from the participating teams, who presented well-reasoned arguments before a distinguished panel of judges drawn from the IP community.

Honourable Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Honourable Justice Navin Chawla of the High Court of Delhi participated in the final round and awards ceremony. Justice Singh reflected on how far moot courts have evolved, recalling the challenges faced by law students in the pre-Internet era. She noted that this moot court was particularly significant because trademark-focused moot courts are rare, with many competitions concentrating on patents.

She further stated, “The arguments of the teams were very innovative. This IP moot court hosted by INTA is a very good step towards expanding knowledge of trademarks law. Normally, in moot court competitions, there is too much focus on patents. Trademarks law has many complex legal principles, as we saw in the moot problem. Congratulations to all the teams who participated and the winners.”

Justice Chawla commended the participants for their meticulous preparation and professionalism, stating, “The teams displayed a very high level of preparation. This is also the most important aspect of being in the legal profession—that one must always be prepared and be poised. Moot courts are fun, but judging the two brilliant teams and deciding on the winner was very tough!”

INTA member Pravin Anand (Anand & Anand, India) addressed the participants on Day 1, sharing anecdotes about the role of IP law in fostering innovation and emphasizing that every case is not just about rights and regulations but also about creativity and the people behind it.

The following day, Enforcement Committee member Hemant Singh (Inttl Advocare, India) inspired students with his remarks on passion, perseverance, and lifelong learning, reminding them that the best lawyers are those who remain students of the law throughout their careers.

The final round saw Lloyd Law College (Noida, India) emerge as the Best Team, also securing the Best Brief award. The Second-Best Team award was awarded to Symbiosis Law School (Noida, India). In the individual category, Pranav Aggarwal from Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (Punjab, India) won Best Oral Arguments, showcasing outstanding advocacy skills.

The success of this year’s Competition was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the Asia-Pacific Moot Court Project Team, led by Co-Chairs Madhu Rewari (Anand & Anand, India) and Tanya Varma (Fidus Law Chambers, India). The project team included Purva Chug (IPR International Services, India), Daniel Greif (S & O Southeast Asia, Thailand), Yashwant Grover (Inttl Advocare, India), Brian Law (LAW Partnership, Malaysia), and Max Ng (Gateway Law Corporation, Singapore).

The panel of judges comprised leading IP practitioners and INTA members, who brought their expertise to bear in evaluating the participants. Their meticulous assessments ensured that the most deserving teams and individuals were recognized. A special mention goes to the volunteer bailiffs for their behind-the-scenes efforts in ensuring that each round was conducted seamlessly.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.

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