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: Public Library of Science (PLOS)
Some bells do not just chime, they widen access.
This week’s bell is for the Public Library of Science, an initiative that helped reshape conversations around scientific publishing and access to knowledge.
For a long time, access to academic research remained closely tied to institutional privilege: universities, subscriptions, and expensive journal databases often determined who could meaningfully participate in scholarly conversations. Knowledge existed, but access to it was uneven.
PLOS emerged as part of a broader effort to rethink that structure. By championing open-access scientific publishing, it helped push the idea that research, especially work with significant public value, should be more widely accessible rather than locked behind paywalls.
Its impact extended beyond publishing models alone. It also shifted conversations around visibility, participation, and the circulation of knowledge itself. Students, independent researchers, practitioners, and readers outside elite institutions could engage with scientific work in ways that were previously far more difficult.
At the same time, the movement toward openness continues to raise important questions around sustainability, publishing economics, and the evolving structures of academic labour. Access, after all, is rarely a simple conversation.
Yet perhaps that is what makes this bell linger. It reminds us that intellectual property and knowledge systems are not only about protection or ownership, but also about who gets to read, participate, and build upon existing work.
Some bells do not just chime, they make knowledge travel further.
EVENTS
1. Panel: “Indigenous Legal Orders, Legal Pluralism, and the Coloniality of Method Across Comparative Law, International Law, IP, and Trade Governance”
1 June 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) | Online
This panel will explore the intersections of Indigenous legal orders, legal pluralism, intellectual property, trade governance, and international law, with particular attention to the continuing effects of methodological coloniality in global legal discourse. Discussions will examine the role of Indigenous law and knowledge systems within international development frameworks, the implications of colonial approaches in comparative law for institutional reform and global justice, and the growing influence of traditional knowledge systems, community-based normative orders, and Indigenous jurisprudence within international legal and governance debates.
More info | Register here
2. WIPO Online Mediation and Arbitration Workshop
2- 4 June 2026 | 12:00 – 14:00 (EDT) / 18:00 – 20:00 (CEST) | Online
Organised by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, this three-day online workshop will provide practical insights into arbitration, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in intellectual property disputes. Day 1 focuses on WIPO Arbitration, Day 2 on WIPO Mediation, and Day 3 on industry perspectives, drafting ADR clauses, and case examples. Participants attending all three days in full will receive certificates of participation.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Call for Applications: SPARC – SpicyIP Academy Research Clinic
Application Deadline: 31 May 2026 (Midnight IST)
The SpicyIP Academy has launched SPARC (SpicyIP Academy Research Clinic), a new initiative aimed at supporting researchers working on the Indian intellectual property landscape through structured feedback and mentorship. The programme will select 10 researchers for its pilot cohort and will run across five fortnightly sessions, fostering a more connected and rigorous IP research community.
More info
2. Short-Term Visiting Fellowships (July–September 2026) | Centre for the Future of Law, NLSIU
Application Deadline: 29 May 2026 | 5:00 PM (IST)
National Law School of India University invites applications for Short-Term Visiting Fellowships at the Centre for the Future of Law for the July–September 2026 trimester. The fellowship will run for three months, from 1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, and will be based on the NLSIU campus in Bengaluru. The programme is intended to support visiting scholars engaging with research and academic activities at the Centre.
More info
3. Call for Papers: Private Law and AI Workshop | Stockholm University
Submission Deadline: 15 July 2026
Stockholm University is inviting submissions for its Private Law and AI Workshop, which aims to foster interdisciplinary discussion on the rapidly evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and private law. The workshop will examine the significant challenges AI technologies pose for legal systems, institutions, and society, while creating space for critical reflection on how private law should respond to technological change that increasingly outpaces legal certainty.
More info
Thanks to Swaraj 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.
