Intellectual Property Law Program

Nathan Burkan Memorial Copyright Writing Competition

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The School of Law at The University of Texas at Austin announces its participation in the Nathan Burkan Memorial Writing Competition. The Competition is sponsored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). A First Prize of $600 and a Second Prize of $250 will be awarded for the two best papers on any aspect of copyright law. In addition, the paper awarded the First Prize will be submitted to the National Competition, where First, Second, and Third Prizes (of $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively) are awarded.

Student and Paper Eligibility & Judging

• Current second- and third-year students are eligible. (A second-year student who receives an award may not compete in her third year.) Students are not eligible for more than one prize in any Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition.
• The paper may be on any aspect of copyright law.
• A paper that has been previously published in the same or substantially similar form is not eligible. Subsequent to entry in the Competition, papers may be published in scholarly journals, provided their entry in the competition is duly noted.
• Papers must represent individual study, and collaboration with others in their preparation is not permitted.
• The UT prizes will be awarded to the eligible students who, in the sole judgment of the dean or his designee, prepare the two best papers. The dean may, in his discretion, withhold the awards entirely or may award only the first or second prize.
• Submissions to the National Competition will be judged by a panel to be selected by, and in the sole discretion of, the Copyright Society of the U.S.A.

Submission Requirements

• The manuscript must be double-spaced and printed on 8-1/2" x 11" paper, with 1" margins all around. A table of contents must be included.
• The manuscript must not exceed 50 pages, including footnotes/endnotes, and excluding table of contents.
• Citations must be in approved law review form. All quotations exceeding four lines must be indented and single-spaced.
• Two hard copies of the manuscript must be submitted, along with an electronic copy on a 3-1/2" floppy diskette (Microsoft Word format preferred). The hard copies must be bound in a stiff cover (e.g., three- ring binder, plastic binding, wire binding, strip binding, etc.) and labeled with the title of the paper, the author's name, permanent home address and telephone number. The floppy diskette should bear a label with the same information.
• An original signed statement from the student author shall be affized to the inside back cover of one of the hard copies of his or her paper, as follows: "I, [Author's Name], certify that I have read the Revised Rules Governing the Competition: Academic Year 2004-2005, and agree to comply in all respects with those Rules." The Rules are available here. (PDF requires Adobe Reader)
• Copies submitted for consideration will not be returned. Each student author shall retain the copyright in his or her paper. Each student author, by entry in the Competition and agreeing to comply with the Rules, grants to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the Copyright Society of the USA, a nonexclusive license to publish his or her paper in any form (including by electronic means).
• Papers may be submitted in person to Linda Alba, Rm. 2.122, or by mail to Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition, Financial Aid Office, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin, 727 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78705. Papers must be received no later than May 13, 2005.