Cannes Lions accused of copying jury system from rival awards

Tim Burrowes

March 30, 2013 12:51

Two of the world’s largest advertising awards organisations are in dispute, with one accusing the other of copying its jury voting system.

The organisers of New York Festivals claims that the Cannes Lions has stolen its methodology after a scandal over block voting led it to change its jury system.

In a strongly worded press statement, International Awards Group, which owns New York Festivals and five other awards, threatened to sue, saying the organisers of the Cannes Lions had copied its methodology which has a patent pending.

This week, the Cannes Lions announced the new system for the Media Lions category after suggestions of an uneven playing field.

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.

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2 COMMENTS

Anonymous 2 Apr 13

It’s been done before.

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Paul Zagoridis 3 Apr 13

I love the insanity of the American Intellectual Property industry. How can a voting system have a patent pending and that patent be in any way defensible?

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