Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies

Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies
Name	Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies
Native name	Centre d'Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle
Established	1963
Type	Graduate institute
City	Strasbourg
Country	France
Campus	Cour européenne

Contents

Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies is a postgraduate institute based in Strasbourg focused on intellectual property law, policy and practice, cooperating with European and international bodies. It offers specialized training for practitioners, officials and academics connected with European Patent Office, World Intellectual Property Organization, European Union, and national offices such as the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle and United States Patent and Trademark Office. The centre situates itself at the intersection of institutions like the Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, University of Strasbourg and professional associations including the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys.

History

Founded in 1963 amid post‑war European integration efforts, the institute was established to address cross‑border issues arising from instruments such as the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and later the Agreement on Trade‑Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Early contributors included figures from the European Patent Organisation and legal scholars linked to the Strasbourg Court of Appeal and the Council of Europe. Over decades the centre adapted to developments including the creation of the World Trade Organization, the expansion of the European Union, and major rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights that impacted rights regimes. Its institutional evolution paralleled reforms at national offices such as the German Patent and Trade Mark Office and innovations from organizations like the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The centre's mission emphasizes harmonization of intellectual property standards, capacity building for officials from agencies like the European Patent Office, and promoting comparative study involving the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the China National Intellectual Property Administration, and regional offices in Africa and Latin America. Objectives include training judges from tribunals such as the Court of Justice of the European Union, advising policymakers engaged with instruments like the Madrid System and the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and producing scholarship that informs debates at forums including the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The institute also aims to foster links with universities such as the University of Oxford, Harvard Law School, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, and the European University Institute.

Programs include postgraduate diplomas, executive courses, and summer schools tailored to professionals from institutions such as the European Patent Office, the United States Copyright Office, and national ministries involved with the Paris Convention. Course topics cover patent prosecution practices influenced by case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union, copyright frameworks tied to decisions from the European Court of Human Rights, trademark enforcement consonant with rulings by the World Trade Organization dispute panels, and licensing strategies in contexts relevant to the World Health Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The curriculum frequently invites guest lecturers from the International Court of Justice, European Commission, Benelux Office for Intellectual Property, and leading academic centers like the University of Cambridge, Columbia Law School, and the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition.

Research produced at the centre addresses intersections of instruments such as the Berne Convention, the TRIPS Agreement, and national statutes exemplified by the French Intellectual Property Code. Publications include monographs, working papers, and edited volumes that cite jurisprudence from the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, and dispute outcomes at the World Trade Organization. Collaborative research projects have been undertaken with entities like the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and academic partners including the Universität Zürich, Stanford Law School, and the University of Melbourne. The centre’s outputs inform policy debates at conferences such as the WIPO Assemblies, the Global Congress on IP and the Public Interest, and meetings of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.

The institute maintains partnerships with multilateral organizations including the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Patent Office, and the European Commission, as well as bilateral links with national offices like the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Japan Patent Office. Academic collaborations extend to institutions such as the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Harvard Law School, Universidade de São Paulo, and the National University of Singapore. It participates in networks that include the European Intellectual Property Teachers' Network, the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, and regional initiatives coordinated with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

Alumni and faculty have occupied positions at the European Patent Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization, national offices such as the UK Intellectual Property Office, and courts including the Court of Justice of the European Union. Former lecturers and visiting scholars include judges from the European Court of Human Rights, commissioners from the European Commission, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, and professors affiliated with Yale Law School, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Oxford University, and Sorbonne University. Graduates have also served in leadership roles at organizations like the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys, the Union for the International Protection of Industrial Property, and the European Council for Trademark and Design Offices.

Category:Intellectual property law schools Category:Universities and colleges in Strasbourg