International Trademark Association’s Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition returns to in-person format in 2023 – registration now open

New York, New York—August 10, 2023—The International Trademark Association (INTA) has launched the 2023 Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition. Taking place in Singapore from September 1 to 2, the competition will mark a return to an in-person format. 

INTA began hosting moot court competitions 32 years ago when it held the first Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, in honor of Saul Lefkowitz, whose distinguished career was devoted to the development of trademark and unfair competition law. More than three decades later, it is one of three such moot court competitions hosted by INTA in the United States, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. 

The Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition provides the much-anticipated and appreciated opportunity for law students to step into a mock courtroom experience, interact with and learn from a panel of judges; and network with peers and leaders in the global IP community, including with experienced attorneys, judges, and future attorneys from around the world.  

John Baum, Senior Counsel at Pirkey Barber PLLC (USA) participated in—and won—the first-ever Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition. Underscoring the value of the moot court experience, he noted in a March 2021 interview, “The students who participate are doing what a lawyer does. They sit down with the facts, they put themselves in the position of an advocate, they research the law, and they prepare their arguments. … It’s not only a competition that helps develop argument skills, but it generally helps build the best skills that lawyers can have.” 

Participating teams will argue the fictional case of Blue Fin Surf Sports, Inc. v. Skuyler Finn Enterprises LLC and Skuyler Finn, a dispute about surfboards and snowboards developed by young women athlete-entrepreneurs. The arguments center on foundational trademark issues of priority, tacking, zone of expansion, and likelihood of confusion. 

The competition is open to teams of students from any university or other higher education institution the degree from which renders its graduates eligible for admission to practice law, with teams of two, three, or four students from the same school; each school can field up to two teams. There will be two days of oral arguments (no written briefs) in front of a panel of judges.  

Teams in all winning categories will receive complementary INTA student memberships. The prize for Best Team, which receives the highest overall oral argument scores, is US $3,000 and second place winners will receive US $1,500; the prize for the winner of the final oral argument is US $1,000; and runner-up in the final oral argument will receive US $500.  

“I encourage students to take this important step in the journey to practicing IP law. The moot court dynamic allows you to engage with the leaders in our community—its judges and attorneys— and develop the skills necessary to be a strong advocate and build relationships you will carry into your professional lives,” said INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo. “We also welcome all participating students and their institutions to stay involved in INTA and our global community.” 

The Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition takes place in at the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore from September 1 to 2. The deadline for entry forms is August 25. Learn more about the Competition.  

About the International Trademark Association 
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and complementary intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation, and committed to building a better society through brands. Members include nearly 6,000 organizations, representing more than 33,500 individuals (trademark owners, professionals, and academics) from 181 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 the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, and representatives in Amman, Nairobi, and New Delhi. For more information, visit inta.org. 

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