Class action

"You can't get this kind of experience anywhere else," says Chormas, who had competed as a third-year law student at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "We had an opportunity to present and rebut cases in English," she said, adding that the experience of standing in the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court in front of a real judge meant as much any prize.

"Here in Thailand, we study only from textbooks," says Samata Samagee, whose team scooped the big prize last time out. "But the UK experience allowed me to witness the actual enforcement of [IP] law, and experience practical problems and see how they are resolved, rather than simply knowing what each act of the law says."

This year's competition will see eight teams of law students receive top-level training - from international legal heavyweights Baker & McKenzie, Norton Rose and Allen & Overy - before contesting mock IP cases in a moot court.

As before, the winning team will be invited to experience IP practice first-hand, with top academic institutions and law firms in the UK.

The UK, says David Elliot, director of arts and society at the British Council Thailand, has extensive expertise in IP, gained from years of extensive research. "The government puts great importance on the protection of Intellectual Property; not least in the entertainment industry, IT, and the pharmaceutical and engineering industries," he says.

But while the UK may feel it's winning its own battle, IP violations have plagued Thailand for years, as counterfeit clothing and pirated media continue to proliferate on the nation's high streets. It's a situation acknowledged by the Honourable Mr Amornthep Karachote, Chief Justice of the Central IP and International Trade Court. Despite government efforts to promote and enforce IP rights, he says, awareness of the law in Thai society remains relatively low.

"The great number of IP infringement cases filed per year - both civil and criminal - demonstrates that this is a serious problem," he says. "I also understand that if we don't make a serious attempt to address the problem, it has the potential to undermine economic relations with our major international trade counterparts."

The competition represents an attempt to bring awareness of IP rights closer to home, starting with the next generation of entrepreneurs, lawyers, and law enforcement officers - today's students. "In any competition, aiming for the top prize is a reasonable practice," says Chormas. "But we shouldn't allow it to influence our thoughts too much. The prize is the means to get ourselves to try our best."

Young Thai IP Law Ambassador Award The competition - organised by the British Council in collaboration with the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, Biotec and UBC - is open to law students under 25 years of age. Because the moot court will be conducted in English, contestants should be able to communicate fluently in English, have good interpersonal skills, and have a strong interest in intellectual property. To qualify for the first round, candidates should submit a 500-word essay that displays an understanding of Intellectual Property and demonstrates an ability to communicate ideas effectively in English. Deadline for the essay, which should be submitted along with a completed application form, is September 7. Eight teams will then be selected to compete in the moot court competition in November. The winning team will head to the UK in April 2007.

For more information on the Young Thai IP Law Ambassador Award, contact Khun Natthaphon Phatara at British Council Thailand, 02-652-5480-9 ext. 301, or visit www.britishcouncil.or.th . Application forms can be downloaded from the British Council's website.