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International Trademark Association Unveils Student Moot Court Competition in Andean Community, Announces Winners of Other Competitions

Published: August 9, 2021

New York, New York, August 9, 2021—Law students from various regions who are interested in intellectual property can hone their skills and prepare for their future careers through several programs offered by the International Trademark Association (INTA), including by participating in its inaugural Andean Community Moot Court Competition announced today.

INTA today also announced the winners of two other writing competitions held recently: the Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition, for law school students outside of the United States; and the Ladas Memorial Award, for students and legal professionals worldwide.

The Association is holding the Andean Community Moot Court Competition in collaboration with the Court of Justice of the Andean Community. This marks the two organizations’ first moot court competition in the Andean Community, as well as the first time that INTA is conducting a competition in Spanish. Students from law schools in Latin America as well as other Spanish-speaking law students may apply to participate. The registration deadline is September 8.

The new competition will focus on issues in a specific case related to Andean Community Law and Intellectual Property in the Andean Community, which encompasses Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Students are required to write a brief, and those with qualifying brief scores will compete in virtual oral arguments in December.

INTA’s original and ongoing Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition in the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition inspired this third moot court competition.

In other student news, INTA announced the winners of this year’s Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition, which introduces law school teams to important issues in trademark and unfair competition law in the region. Now in its fourth year, the competition drew 18 four-person teams from six countries. The students wrote briefs that were judged by two dozen local INTA members.

The best brief was submitted by a team from the National University of Singapore, composed of Chen Rong, Ho Kok Hean, Xiao Han Han, and Song Yihang. A team from the National University of Singapore has achieved a top spot since the competition began in 2017–2018.

The judges awarded the second-best brief to another team from the National University of Singapore, consisting of Lo Yin Pen, Navneeth Kanagavelu, Chen Ton Hao Jarrett, and Adriel Ho Jian Yao. A team from Ho Chi Minh City University of Law in Vietnam ranked third—Nguyen Dao Khanh Linh, Nguyen Vu Thuy Quynh, Doan Phuong Uyen, and Nguyen Thanh Chuong.

In addition, the winners of the Ladas Memorial Award are, in the student category, Lauren Ingram of American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., and Michael Stephenson at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Law in Pennsylvania; and in the professional category, Laura Heymann, Chancellor Professor of Law at William and Mary Law School in Virginia.

This long-standing annual award is presented for a paper on trademark law or a matter that directly relates to or affects trademarks. INTA established the award in memory of Stephen P. Ladas, a distinguished practitioner and author.

In addition to these competitions, students can become engaged with INTA in other ways, including by attending Association events such as the 2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+ taking place from November 15 to 19. Student membership in INTA is also available.

About the International Trademark Association
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation. Members include nearly 6,500 organizations, representing more than 34,350 individuals (trademark owners, professionals, and academics) from 185 countries, who benefit from the Association’s global trademark resources, policy development, education and training, and international network. Founded in 1878, INTA is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Beijing, Brussels, Santiago, Singapore, and Washington, D.C., and a representative in New Delhi. For more information, visit inta.org

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