ECTA, established in 1980, is a Brussels-based European IP association with around 1,300 members from the EU and beyond. Its members are primarily private practitioners, but also include in-house counsel, academia, and other IP professionals. ECTA is a recognised interlocutor for institutions and policymakers, advocating for a balance of IP rights. ECTA also has strong ties with academia, with many members lecturing at universities in the EU and elsewhere, and professors regularly presenting at ECTA events.

Since 2013, ECTA has hosted the prestigious ECTA Award, an annual competition for IP professionals and students, typically launched each October/November. The Award aims to foster academic research and the advancement of IP law in the EU. Every year, ECTA recognises the most significant article or essay - written by an IP professional and an IP student - that contributes to the development of IP law. We are pleased to announce our collaboration with the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice by Oxford University Press, extending in 2025 to both the professional and student categories.

Below are the criteria to participate in the ECTA Award competition respectively for the professional and student categories:

STUDENT CATEGORY
To qualify for this category, the IP student must
- be enrolled as a part-time or full-time student, or have recently graduated in law or a related field;
- write a substantive paper on European IP law (e.g. trade marks, designs, copyright, geographical indications, anti-counterfeiting, AI, data, patents, internet matters, international trade, etc.);
- attach an enrolment certificate for the academic year 2024-2025 or proof of graduation in the academic year 2023-2024;
- attach a brief CV.

Such paper:
- must be unpublished;
- must contain original thoughts of the author and may be co-authored;
- must be written in English or, if the paper is written in any other European official language, must be translated into English.

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY
To qualify for this category, the IP professional (lawyer, attorney, in-house counsel, professor) must
- not be a student;
- write a substantive paper on European IP law (e.g. trade mark, designs, copyright, geographical indications, anti-counterfeiting, AI, data, patents, internet matters, international trade, etc.);
- attach a brief CV.

Such paper:
- may be either unpublished or published, provided that the publication date is not older than two years prior to the submission deadline;
- must contain original thoughts of the author and may be co-authored (including co-authored with a student);
- must be written in English or, if the paper is written in any other European official language, must be translated into English.

PRIZE
For each category one winner will be selected and will receive:
· Monetary prize: 1.000 EUR for each winner.
· Complimentary ECTA membership: 18 months of free membership.
· Recognition at ECTA Annual Conference: Winners will be honoured by the ECTA President at the Award Ceremony during the ECTA 43rd Annual Conference in Berlin (20 June 2025) and invited to the gala dinner.
· Feature in ECTA Bulletin: An interview with the winners will be featured in the October 2025 edition.
· Publication on ECTA website: Winning papers will be published online.
· Possible JIPLP publication: If unpublished, the winning papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice by Oxford University Press.
· JIPLP subscription: Winners will receive a one-year free online subscription to the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice by Oxford University Press.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Papers will be judged by the ECTA Professional Affairs and Membership Committee with the support of other ECTA Committees, subject to approval by the Board of Directors, according to the following criteria:
- extent of research done;
- breadth and timeliness of subjects;
- cross-border aspects;
- enhancement of European IP law (e.g. trade mark, designs, copyright, geographical indications, anti-counterfeiting, AI, data, patents, internet matters, international trade, etc.);
- relationship to the Common Market;
- qauality of writing;
- originality of the subject and ideas.

Please note that the publication of the winning papers in the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice is subject to the final decision of its editors.
By submitting a paper, it is considered that you consent to having your paper and name published on the ECTA website and other ECTA publications and communication channels, if you are selected as a winner.
A winner of an ECTA Award may not participate in the competition in the year immediately following the year in which they won the Award. There should be a gap of one year before they may enter the competition again, but the paper submitted in the gap year may be taken into consideration for the ECTA Award in the subsequent year.


Deadline for submission: 15 February 2025