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To join the CASRIP mailing list, simply fill out the online form. You will be listed on the CASRIP directory as a professional, academic or student member, and will receive CASRIP newsletter and announcement of seminars and symposiums sponsored by CASRIP with no charge.
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CASRIP is inviting academic, professional and student members outside the University of Washington School of Law to join CASRIP. There is no obligation for the members. Anyone who is interested in international policy development on legal protection of technology is welcome. Last year, many European, Japanese, and Korean academic researchers and lawyers visited CASRIP and joined our membership. Here are answers to frequently asked questions from those who wish to join CASRIP.
CASRIP Membership FAQs:
- What is CASRIP?
- Why was CASRIP created?
- When was CASRIP was created? Is CASRIP part of the law school?
- Who works for CASRIP?
- What is unique about CASRIP?
- Does CASRIP help inventors obtain patents? What does CASRIP do?
- How is CASRIP financially supported?
- How can I benefit from CASRIP activities if I do not live in Seattle?
- Is there any obligation for CASRIP members?
- What is CASRIP?
The Center for Advanced Research and Study on Intellectual Property (CASRIP) is an independent research and policy development institute focusing on problems in patent and other property ownership rights in the products of high technology. - Why was CASRIP created?
The United States, Japan and Europe are leaders in private sector and government investment in technology research and development. Intellectual Property rights in the fruits of "R & D" are of critical importance to the continuation of such investment. Achieving a proper balance between rights in technology, which provides incentives for investment and an assurance of economic return on one hand, and maximum dissemination of R.& D results, which enables further R & D and benefits human welfare, on the other hand, is the central task of intellectual property policy.
Because of the international nature of both technology production and market exploitation, no one country can unilaterally dictate what the balance shall be. Policies of one country have an impact on the policies of its trading partners. Disparate policies and perceptions about rights in technology have led to trade friction.
Search for consensus and compromise on international intellectual property policy has, to date, been primarily in the hands of politicians who, understandably, intertwine these issues with other international trade and economic concerns. There have not been sufficient opportunities for science, business, and legal experts from Japan, the United States, and other countries to meet to address these issues.
A university-based research institute in the United States can plan a key role in the search for sound intellectual property policy that will reduce both private company and governmental disputes over property rights in technology. Thus, CASRIP was created to improve discussion and exchange of views between professionals of various countries, particularly those countries that have major, mature intellectual property systems, such as Japan, Europe and the United States, and to foster discussion of, and to study the impact of, the possible differences of intellectual property regimes in different countries, and the impact of intellectual property on international trade. - When was CASRIP was created? Is CASRIP part of the law school?
In 1987, Professor Chisum, working with academics and practitioners in the United States and Japan, founded CASRIP to foster nationally and politically neutral policy development on intellectual property matters, particularly on the international harmonization of patent laws. Prior to 1987, most serious academic, non-governmental research on patent harmonization was from Europe. Professor Chisum and others believed that the patent harmonization process would benefit from comparative studies focused more heavily on the United States and Japan.
In 1992, CASRIP acquired a new home as a non-profit organization at the University of Washington School of Law and began broadening activities and became an independent research and policy development institute. Thus, CASRIP is now part of the University of Washington School of Law. - Who works for CASRIP?
CASRIP is operated by three directors who are faculty of rank at the University of Washington School of Law: Toshiko Takenaka, Director, is a Professor of Law; Bob Gomulkiewicz, Associate Director, is an Associate Professor of Law; Sean O'Connor, Associate Director, is an Assistant Professor of Law.
Under the supervision of three directors, ten JD research associates and six research fellows work for CASRIP. JD research associates are selected from the first year students who would like to combine their interests in comparative law and intellectual property law. Many of them have either or both science background or foreign language skill. They receive a scholarship in summer brake between the first and second year, and study the essential knowledge in theory and practice on intellectual property law.
Research fellows are researchers from academic, corporate and government entities concerned with intellectual property have taken part in this program from East Asia and Europe. They spend one year working with JD research associates to complete research on a selected topic. Their research results are published as CASRIP Intellectual Property Law Working Paper Series. - What is unique about CASRIP?
CASRIP may be compared to the distinguished Max-Planck Institute for Patent, Copyright, and Unfair Competition Law in Munich, Germany, but relying on the University of Washington's rich history of United States-Japan comparative study, and on its major research departments on health sciences, computer science, and engineering, it will focus more heavily on (1) problems associated with high technology, and (2) the Pacific Rim countries, particularly the United States and Japan.
CASRIP have been invited to send delegations to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) patent harmonization meeting. It has rare opportunity to influence and enhance the harmonization of patent system in Paris Union member countries. - Does CASRIP help inventors obtain patents? What does CASRIP do?
CASRIP neither helps inventors to write specifications and obtain patents nor gives them legal advice to enforce their patents. Instead, CASRIP sponsors a four-week patent and intellectual property summer institute for inventors who wish to prepare their applications and non-U.S. patent attorneys who wish to expand their expertise in United States patent practice. The institute consists of regular and advanced courses. The regular courses have six components, running concurrently. The advanced courses have three components.
Also, CASRIP indirectly helps inventors by conducting comparative law research on patent and intellectual property law, and advising policy to enhance the effective protection of their R & D results. To disseminate the research results conducted by CASRIP faculty and research associates, CASRIP publishes books, manuscripts and video tapes on a variety of intellectual property-related topics. In 1995, CASRIP published a 40-volume video series with transcripts on American patent law theory and practice. CASRIP also has published several symposiums. To give access to the recent developments in the United States, Japan and Europe, CASRIP also publishes a quarterly newsletter and distributes it to subscribers.
CASRIP sponsors a scholarship research program, and practical training programs. Trinnie Arriola (Class of 1992) has been researching at the Max Planck Institute in Munich. Karen Canady (Class of 1992) worked as an associate at Vossius and Partners, a distinguished patent law firm in Munich and also research at the Max Planck Institute. Marvin Motsenbocker (Class of 1992) researched at the Institute of Intellectual Property in Tokyo, and participated in seminars and meetings sponsored by Japanese patent office and major Japanese R & D oriented companies. - How is CASRIP financially supported?
CASRIP's operation is mainly supported by the revenue from sponsoring seminars and conferences. It receives state support by using spaces in the law school and being operated by directors and administrative staff who are state employees. In the long run, CASRIP plans to solicit industry interests in supporting a comparative intellectual property research consortium, modeled after successful industry consortia that have supported University-based-research in science and engineering. Some Japanese companies have already indicated strong interest in supporting such a consortium. - How can I benefit from CASRIP activities if I do not live in Seattle?
All major programs sponsored by CASRIP is video taped, or at least audio taped. You can rent out the video and audio tapes. You can watch the video with your colleagues at your office and send it back to CASRIP with your comments and questions to CASRIP directors and speakers. For example, more than 100 patent attorneys attended GATT implementation patent law changes seminar held in January 12. The summery report is available in CASRIP newsletter. Some video tapes explaining significant Federal Circuit cases on selected patent law issues were even sent to Japan and Germany where students prepared their reports on a case decision in their own jurisdiction dealing with the same issues. - Is there any obligation for CASRIP members?
There is no obligation. Thanks to CASRIP sponsors, there is no membership fee—it is absolutely free. You can participate in whatever activities that you are interested in. If you practice in any field of intellectual property, you are invited to speak about your profession to JD students and foreign lawyers at CASRIP coffee Break meeting. If you are interested in speak out your opinion on intellectual property policy development, look for the announcement of the future conferences and publications. You are invited to participate in our seminars as an audience or speaker, and to contribute paper for out publications. You may even have a chance to visit Europe or East Asia as a speaker or delegation from CASRIP.
