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: When Copyright Meets AI – ANI v. OpenAI
Some bells mark the beginning of a new chapter. This one may just be the beginning of India’s AI copyright jurisprudence.
This week’s bell goes to ANI Media v. OpenAI, one of the most closely watched copyright disputes involving artificial intelligence in India. The case began with ANI alleging that OpenAI had used and stored its copyrighted news content to train the large language models behind ChatGPT without permission. The case also brought the question of AI-generated outputs and copyright infringement before the Court.
The Delhi High Court delivered its interim order on 24 July 2026, refusing to grant ANI an interim injunction against OpenAI. At this stage, the Court took the prima facie view that OpenAI’s storage and use of ANI’s works for training its LLMs fell within the scope of the fair-dealing exception under Section 52(1)(a) of the Copyright Act. It also considered the outputs relied upon by ANI and found, on the material before it, that they were not substantially similar to ANI’s original works.
But this is important: the case is far from over. The Court’s observations were made while deciding the interim application and do not determine the final outcome of the suit. The larger questions around AI training, copyright infringement and the use of copyrighted works by generative AI therefore remain open.
What makes the case particularly interesting is that it gives Indian courts a starting point to develop their own jurisprudence on AI and copyright. Questions that courts around the world are grappling with: Can copyrighted works be used to train AI models? When does such use amount to fair dealing? Can AI-generated outputs infringe copyright?are now being considered through the lens of the Indian Copyright Act.
The timing is also interesting. While courts in the United States are already dealing with a rapidly growing number of lawsuits involving authors, artists, publishers, news organisations and AI companies, India is only beginning to build its own body of jurisprudence around these questions. ANI v. OpenAI could therefore be an important starting point for the Indian contribution to the larger global debate on copyright and AI.
And if this case has caught your attention, there is plenty more to dig into. SpicyIP contributors have been closely following the litigation, with several posts looking at the proceedings, the interim order and its implications for fair dealing, AI training and Indian copyright law. So, if you want to go down the ANI-OpenAI rabbit hole, the SpicyIP archive is a good place to start.
For now, the case has given us a few preliminary answers and a whole lot of questions that Indian courts will have to grapple with in the years ahead.
Some bells don’t give us answers. They tell us which questions the law will have to answer next.
EVENTS
1. EU Webinar: Copyright in Collaborative Projects
30 September 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (CEST), 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM IST
This webinar will provide an overview of copyright and how it should be managed in collaborative projects, including copyright protection for outputs such as academic papers and other publications. The webinar has 1,000 seats and is offered free of charge.
More info | Register here
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027–2028
The Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships each year to encourage international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 countries. Scholarships are available for research and PhD programmes, with varying scholarship amounts and durations. Please check the website for further information.
More info
2. AI and Workplace Technology Specialist | World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum in Geneva is seeking an AI and Workplace Technology Specialist to join its Workplace Technology team. The role will bridge the gap between the tools staff use every day and the intelligent workplace being built, ensuring that platforms are actively managed, fit for purpose, and connected to the Forum’s intelligent workplace rather than operating in isolation.
More info
3. Invitation to Teach Elective Courses at NLSIU
Deadlines: 25 August 2026 (Nov 2026 – Jan 2027 Trimester) and 30 September 2026 (March–May 2027 Trimester)
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru invites interested persons to offer Elective Courses during the Second Trimester (2 November 2026–19 January 2027) and Third Trimester (1 March–19 May 2027) of the Academic Year 2026–27. Applicants must have a graduate and post-graduate degree in law or the social sciences. Post-qualification experience of 3 years or more will be preferred, or applicants may have 7–10 years of post-qualification experience in legal practice. Individuals who have published widely in their fields of expertise will be preferred.
More info
4. KU Leuven Research Colloquium on Law and Emerging Technologies
Application Deadline: 20 September 2026
Organised within the framework of the bi-yearly conference of the Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP), the colloquium invites doctoral and junior researchers in law and emerging technologies to submit abstracts on their ongoing doctoral research. Selected researchers will present their work to a distinguished panel of experts, engage in scholarly discussions with peers and the audience, and receive constructive feedback and scholarly advice from selected discussants. The colloquium is designed for junior researchers with a clear research trajectory seeking insights from senior colleagues and peers. Attendance at the CiTiP conference on 10 December 2026 and the Research Colloquium on 11 December 2026 is self-funded.
More info
Thanks to Lokesh for 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.
