Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles. As always, we’ve rounded up a mix of developments, opportunities, and thoughtful reads from across the IP world along with a Bell of the Week that’s well worth revisiting.
Bell of the Week: Margaret Boden
Some bells do not just chime, they make you pause and ask what we really mean.
This week’s bell is for Margaret A. Boden, whose work on creativity and artificial intelligence has shaped how we think about what it means to create.
At a time when AI-generated works are becoming more common, her questions feel especially relevant. What counts as creativity? Is it the novelty of an output, the process behind it, or something more difficult to define: intention, context, meaning?
Boden’s work suggests that creativity is not a single, fixed idea. It can emerge from combining existing elements, exploring within known structures, or transforming those structures entirely. Seen this way, the line between human and machine creativity becomes less obvious, and perhaps more uncomfortable.
And yet, that discomfort is useful.
Because it forces us to think more carefully about what we value in creative work. Not just the outcome, but the process, the effort, the context in which something is made. In a moment where technology can produce endlessly, these questions begin to matter more, not less.
Some bells do not just chime, they stay with you, reshaping how you understand the world.
EVENTS
1. Orange Minds – IPR Lecture Series | CIPAM, DPIIT
16 March 2026 to 10 April 2026
CIPAM has launched “Orange Minds,” a lecture series aimed at strengthening awareness and understanding of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) among students and young innovators. The sessions will cover diverse themes and feature eminent experts. Interested participants are requested to select and register for the sessions they wish to attend.
More info | Register here
2. ILEO Distinguished Lecture Series | “The Voss Parliamentary Report on Copyright and Generative AI: A Wrong Step in the Right Direction?”
Event Date: 8 April 2026 (17:00 CET) | Venue: Via Parenzo, Aula 15 & Online
The ILEO Distinguished Lecture Series will host a seminar examining the European Parliament’s Report on Copyright and Generative AI (the “Voss Report”), adopted on 10 March 2026. Members of the ILEO team, including Christophe Geiger, Ludovico Bossi, and Francesca Di Lazzaro will critically analyse the key findings and implications of the Report, engaging with its broader impact on copyright law and policy in the context of generative AI. The event will be held in person, with an option to join online.
More info | Link to join online
OPPORTUNITIES
SpicyIP Summer School 2026: Rethinking IP – Foundations, Faults, and Futures
20–28 June 2026 | Whitefield, Bengaluru | Residential Programme
The SpicyIP Summer School returns with a 9-day residential programme designed to cultivate critical pluralism in intellectual property law and policy, inspired by the legacy of Shamnad Basheer. Limited to 25 participants, the programme brings together scholars, practitioners, and students for intensive discussions and collaborative learning. This year’s theme, “Rethinking IP: Foundations, Faults, and Futures,” focuses on three interlinked terrains of engagement that shape every session, encouraging participants to critically examine the conceptual foundations, systemic shortcomings, and future directions of IP law and policy. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
More info
1. NLSIU Litigation Fellowships | National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
Application Deadline: 15 April 2026 (5 PM IST) | Cohort Size: 30
The National Law School of India University invites applications for its Litigation Fellowships. The programme is aimed at early-career lawyers already engaged in litigation who demonstrate a commitment to advancing the rule of law and constitutional values. Fellows will receive structured exposure to litigation practice while working in a collaborative and mentorship-driven environment. Preference will be given to first-generation lawyers and candidates from marginalised groups, and women litigators are especially encouraged to apply.
More info
2. PhD Positions | ERC Project “The Governance of Loss in the EU (GovLoss-EU)” | University of Amsterdam & Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance
Application Deadline: 19 April 2026 | Positions: 3 PhD Candidates
The University of Amsterdam, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance, invites applications for three PhD positions under the ERC-funded project “The Governance of Loss in the EU (GovLoss-EU).” This interdisciplinary project examines how law and governance respond to experiences of loss arising from major economic transformations, including globalisation, digitalisation, climate change, and the green transition. Candidates with a Master’s degree (or those completing one by September 2026) in law, social sciences, humanities, or related fields are encouraged to apply.
More info
Thanks to Daanish and Lokesh for the leads!
All non-sponsored listings featured here are events or opportunities free or nominally charged and ones we think our readers may be interested in. Sponsored listings will be marked as such. Unless specifically mentioned, SpicyIP has no affiliation to anything listed here. Know of an event worth sharing? Write to us at contact[at]spicyip[dot]com.
