Writing Competition 2022

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Writing Competition Updated Announcement

Congratulations to our Winners!

1st Place: Kewa Jiang

2nd Place: Simone Edward

3rd Place: Aden Beyene and Richa Upadhyay

Prompt

For technologists, lawyers, policymakers, and thinkers in technological circles, the “metaverse” has been a frequent topic of discussion. As the internet evolves into its next phase and the metaverse gains popularity and slowly becomes integrated into our daily lives, new norms and concerns regarding privacy, trust and safety emerge.

However, the use of immersive technology raises unique considerations on issues that policymakers are still trying to understand. Critics of the metaverse cite concerns related to fields such as cybersecurity, privacy, surveillance, data ownership and a myriad of other concerns. Supporters of the metaverse argue that through consensus and non-centralized systems, many of these issues will be solved through democratic processes that will also protect from misuse and abuse.

Submitted papers will in some way address potential issues related to the metaverse and/or metaverse technologies analyzed through a legal, political, economic or sociological lens. The paper should also in some way grapple with trust and safety, privacy, economic viability, technological innovation and/or consumer need as it relates to the metaverse and metaverse technologies.

Preference will be given to submissions that consider:

  • the incentives or capacity of actors or institutions that operate within the ecosystem of the problem.

  • the fiscal implementability, political implementability and overall practicability under real-world conditions.

  • the impact on communities of color and/or other marginalized communities.

  • a novel approach to addressing the relevant issues.

Prize

  • Up to three winners will be selected. First Prize will receive $1,500. Second Prize will receive $1,000. Third Prize will receive $500.
  • Winning papers may be selected for publication on Foundry platforms.
  • Winners will participate in an interview with the Foundry which will be published on our platforms and will be automatically considered for Foundry membership in the next application cycle.

Rules

  • Papers will be accepted from current undergraduate, graduate and professional school students and recent graduates (within 5 years of graduation as of the contest date).
  • Papers must be the author’s own original work, however, students may incorporate feedback received as part of an academic course or supervised writing project.
  • Papers will be evaluated based on, among other things, depth of research and analysis, creativity of approach, responsiveness to the prompt, analysis of effect on diverse populations, relevance to current legal, financial, business, economic and/or public policy debates, originality, and clarity.
  • Papers should be 2500-5500 words long (not including footnotes) and be submitted in Times New Roman Size 12 font, double spaced. Citations must conform to the 20th edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, MLA Style Manual or Chicago Manual of Style. Papers must be in English.
  • Papers must not have been published or committed for publication in a journal; The Internet Law and Policy Foundry must have the first right of publication for any winning essay.

Submission Requirements

  • Update: The deadline has been extended to October 13, 2022.
  • Papers must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on the deadline.
  • Papers must be submitted via email to [email protected] with the subject in Word
    format with the file named in the format “LastName_FirstName_ILPFHWCompetition” with the
    subject line “ILPF Hackathon Writing Competition”.
  • Papers must have a cover pages including:
    • Author’s Full Name
    • Name of Current/Former Academic Institution
    • Degree Program
    • Year of Graduation
    • Email Address
    • The following affirmation:
      • I affirm that this paper is an original work of scholarship authored by me. The paper (or a variation thereof authored by me) has not been published, or committed for publication, in any other publication. If this paper is selected as a winner, I grant The Internet Law and Policy Foundry the right of first publication of the paper. I have read and agree to the Terms set forth herein.
  • Entrant’s name and academic institution shall only appear on the cover page. Papers shall contain no identifying information.

Terms

  • The decisions made by the judges are final.
  • Current and past fellows of The Internet Law and Policy Foundry are not eligible to participate.
  • Winners will be required to submit a completed W-9 (or W-8 if applicable), affidavit of eligibility, tax acknowledgment, and liability release for tax purposes as a condition to receive the cash prize. All forms must be completed and returned via email within 14 days of receipt, or prizes will be considered forfeited and another winner may be named.
  • If a potential winner does not respond within 14 days of the first attempt to contact them or the contact email is returned as non-deliverable, the potential winner forfeits all rights to be named as a winner or receive a prize and an alternate winner may be chosen.
  • Entrants may submit multiple entries. Jointly authored papers are eligible, provided all authors consent and meet the eligibility requirements for the competition. If a winning paper has more than one author, the prize will be split equally among the co-authors.
  • If an entry receives an award, the author must agree to indicate in a footnote or otherwise that the piece was granted a prize in this contest. The year of the award must also be indicated.
  • The authors of papers that are selected for publication in any form by The Internet Law and Policy Foundry will be required to sign The Internet Law and Policy Foundry’s standard agreement warranting the entry’s originality and granting The Internet Law and Policy Foundry first publication rights.
  • Winners will be solely responsible for all federal, state, local or other taxes on the prize if any such taxes apply and any conversion or transaction fees related to international payments should any such fees apply. Cash prizes will only be paid in U.S. Dollars via check or bank transfer. Any bank fees that may be charged as a part of the award process will be deducted from the prize.
  • The Internet Law and Policy Foundry is not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry information; late, lost, or misdirected entries; or computer errors or issues, including any bug, computer virus or other technical failure.
  • The Writing Competition is governed by U.S. law, and all relevant federal, state, and local rules and regulations apply. By participating, all entrants agree that the competition shall be governed by the laws of the District of Columbia and that the courts of the District of Columbia shall have exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute or litigation relating to or arising from the competition. Void where prohibited by law.
  • By participating, each entrant agrees to the rules of the Writing Competition and the decisions of The Internet Law and Policy Foundry and releases, discharges, and holds harmless The Internet Law and Policy Foundry and each of their respective officers, directors, members, fellows, employees, independent contractors, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns from any and all liability whatsoever in connection with the Writing Competition, including without limitation legal claims, costs, injuries, loss or damages, demands, or actions of any kind.
  • This Writing Competition may be canceled, modified, or terminated for any reason.
  • In the unlikely event that no entries are of sufficient quality to merit an award, The Internet Law
    and Policy Foundry reserves the right to declare no winners and award no prizes.

Please direct any questions to [email protected].