Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests Policy

Trends in Intellectual Property Research is dedicated to upholding transparency, independence, and integrity in the publication of legal scholarship. All individuals involved in the research, peer-review, and editorial processes—authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members—must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived competing interests that could influence, or be reasonably seen to influence, their professional judgment or decisions.

This policy follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to disclose all relevant competing interests at the time of submission. Disclosure should appear in a clearly labelled “Conflicts of Interest” or “Competing Interests” statement within the manuscript (usually before the references).

• If competing interests exist, authors must describe them in sufficient detail for readers to assess their potential influence.
• If no competing interests exist, authors should include the statement:
  “The authors declare that they have no competing interests.”

Authors must also acknowledge all sources of funding and the role of funders (if any) in the design, data collection, analysis, or decision to publish.

Failure to disclose relevant competing interests may result in rejection of the manuscript, publication of a correction, or, in serious cases, retraction.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must declare any competing interests before accepting a review invitation. Reviewers should decline the invitation if:

• They have a personal, professional, or financial relationship with any of the authors
• They have recently collaborated with the authors or belong to the same institution
• They have a strong competing academic, ideological, or commercial interest in the subject matter

If a reviewer discovers a competing interest after accepting the assignment, they must notify the editor immediately and withdraw if necessary.

Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and board members must recuse themselves from handling any manuscript in which they have a competing interest. This includes manuscripts:

• Authored by colleagues from the same institution
• Written by current or former students, supervisors, or close collaborators
• Involving topics or parties with which the editor has a financial or personal relationship

Manuscripts submitted by an editor or editorial board member are handled independently by another editor who has no conflict, following the same peer-review process applied to all other submissions.

Management and Disclosure

• Disclosures are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated handling editor.
• Where a competing interest is identified, appropriate measures may include recusal, assignment to an alternative reviewer or editor, or, in rare cases, declining the submission.
• Submitted articles will include a clear competing-interests statement to evaluate the work in context.
• Undisclosed competing interests discovered after publication will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines and may lead to a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

By requiring open disclosure and careful management of competing interests, Trends in Intellectual Property Research aims to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and maintain the trust of authors, reviewers, and readers.