SpicyIP’s 3rd Shamnad Basheer Essay Competition on IP Law [Prizes up to Rs 30K]: Submit by July 14




Spicy Ip, is inviting submissions for the 3rd Shamnad Basheer Essay Competition on IP Law from law students enrolled in a law school or those who graduated after 2019.

About Spicy IP

SpicyIP is one of India’s leading blogs/repositories on intellectual property (IP) and innovation law/policy. Through its independent reporting/analysis, SpicyIP is committed to fostering transparency within the Indian IP ecosystem. Founded in 2005 by Prof. Shamnad Basheer, an IP academic and consultant, the SpicyIP team comprises a group of passionate analysts and fellows.

About the IP Law Essay Competition

On the occasion of our founder Prof. (Dr.) Shamnad Basheer’s 46th birth anniversary today, SpicyIP are proud to announce the third edition of the Shamnad Basheer Essay Competition on Intellectual Property Law.

About Professor (Dr.) Shamnad Basheer

Shamnad Basheer was an Indian legal scholar and founder of the blog SpicyIP. He was also the founder of IDIA, a trust which works on making legal education accessible for underprivileged students.

A master with the pen, Shamnad was a prolific writer. Apart from publishing extensively in academic journals (most of the publications can be accessed on his SSRN page), he was also the rare Indian academic who wrote extensively for law students and the lay audience, through various media such as SpicyIP and mainstream newspapers.

Theme of the IP Law Essay Competition

The topic of the essay can be anything related to intellectual property rights – the more creative the better. SpicyIP encourages participants to take inspiration from Shamnad’s work, which has challenged the orthodoxy of conventional IP wisdom by looking at the subject through the lens of the global south and its development needs.

Two values that guided Shamnad through the course of his academic writing, were the need for transparency and democratic participation, during the process of making the law and implementation.

His commitment to transparency in the enforcement of India’s patent law led him to sue the Patent Office on two occasions in order to secure our right to information. He was also playful in his writing, never afraid to think and communicate unconventionally. He brought rigour and substance to his non-conforming ways and we encourage you to bring the same spirit into your entries.

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit the essays in MS Word format, with 1.5 line spacing. Please do not submit essays in PDF format.
  • They are not prescribing any specific format for footnotes. As long as it is consistent, it should not be a problem.
  • The word limit for submissions is 5,000 words (inclusive of footnotes).
  • All submissions must be original and unpublished.
  • Only single author submissions will be accepted for the essay competition. Submission cannot have two or more authors. Submissions with more than one author will not be considered.

Eligibility for Essay Competition

  • The competition will be open to students currently enrolled in any LL.B. program (or its equivalent –meaning students enrolled in J.D. programs can take part) across the world;
  • those who have completed their first law degree in 2019 or later.

Prizes

  • 1st Prize: Rs. 15,000/-
  • 2nd Prize: Rs. 10,000/-
  • 3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000/-

How to Submit?

  • Please submit a covering letter stating the law school where you are enrolled as a student, along with your essay.
  • If you are a recent graduate, please mention the law school and year of graduation in the covering letter.
  • Submit the above documents and your submission at submissions@spicyip.com

Judges

  • Prof. Shubha Ghosh:  Professor of Law and Director of the Technology Commercialization Law Program and the Syracuse Intellectual Property Law Institute at Syracuse University College of Law in Syracuse, New York, United States.
  • Prof. Srividhya Ragavan: Professor of Law at the Texas A&M School of Law and the Faculty Director of the School’s International Legal Studies Program.

Deadline to Submit

July 14