Originality competition: and the winner is ...

The 1709 Blog contest launched on 28 October last attracted more than 40 entries from talented and witty readers. The prize was a free copy of this blogger's new book Originality in EU Copyright.

It was not easy to select the winner, but eventually a choice had to be made. So - ladies and gentlemen - the winner of the 1709 Blog originality contest is Pedro Malaquias, an LLM student at Queen Mary, University of London, who provided a helpful and funny synopsis of originality's current health status:

“Originality is a Luxembourg infection. Early symptoms include a slight headache after minor distress. Despite some early confusion, sweat of the brow is considered to be unrelated. Most advanced treatments claim that using traditional knowledge (namely, skill and judgement) to cure outbursts  may yet prove efficient.”

Pedro Malaquias

Well done Pedro!

There were many great entries, including two (from Marc Dominic Mimler, Queen Mary, and Francisco J Cabrera) that nicely recalled that originality may be something akin to obscenity, at least following Justice Potter Stewart's observation that one knows it when he/she sees it.

But not all entries necessarily compared originality to pornography. Here's a selection:

“Originality is eleven letters that aren't original. But these eleven words might be.”

--Gareth Dickson, Edwards Wildman

“Originality is
the art of concealing your sources
the best form of rebellion
achieved only through work and struggle
that which creates a new origin
hard.”

--Tom Bishop, The Royal College of Surgeons of England

“Originality is winning Eleonora's competition but not having a clue how I did it!”

--Alex McKenna, University of Kent

“Originality is a combination of something old, something new and nothing blue.”

--Grace Teoh

“Originality is ... overrated.”

--Florian Koempel

“Originality is an illusion ..eppur si muove!"

“Originality is a serviceable substitute for copying.”

--Francisco J Cabrera

Is dressing up your cat as ET original enough? 

“Originality is showing you're a smart Alecky by not copying anybody.”

--Kwaku, BBM/BMC

“Originality is ... never having to say you're sorry”

 --Keigh-Lee Paroz, National Library of Scotland

“Originality is whatever your favorite judge says it is.”

--Robert Panzer, VAGA

“Originality is always admirable, sometimes discernible, never wholly achievable.”

--Graham Smith, Bird&Bird LLP

“Originality is winning a book with these 11 words, absent perspiration.”

--João Pedro Quintais, University of Amsterdam