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: oriGIn
Some bells are about protecting a product. Others are about giving the communities behind that product a voice.
This week’s bell goes to oriGIn (Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network), a global alliance bringing together around 600 producer associations and other GI-related institutions from 40 countries. Established in 2003, oriGIn works to strengthen the protection and enforcement of GIs while promoting them as tools for sustainable development.
What makes oriGIn particularly interesting is that it puts producers and producer groups at the centre of the GI system. A GI may appear on a label as a name tied to a place, but behind that name are often hundreds or thousands of producers whose reputation, practices and livelihoods are collectively tied to it. oriGIn gives these groups a common platform to exchange experiences, share best practices and speak collectively on GI-related issues at international forums including WIPO, the WTO and the EU.
Its work goes beyond advocacy. oriGIn provides practical resources on GI law, enforcement, quality control, marketing and sustainability, helps producer groups navigate GI protection in foreign markets and works on technical assistance projects aimed at helping communities realise the development potential of their GIs. It also maintains a worldwide compilation of GIs, bringing together information from different legal systems and jurisdictions.
This year’s GI Trends Survey makes the collective nature of the system even more visible. Drawing on responses from 32 GI groups across 20 countries, the 2026 survey found that 77% of the groups reported high or very high member involvement in strategic decision-making. The surveyed groups together represented €73.1 billion in turnover, €58.9 billion in exports and around 640,000 direct jobs.
There is something quite fascinating about that. Unlike many forms of IP that are associated with an individual inventor, author or company, GIs are fundamentally collective rights. Their strength comes from a community of producers sharing a name, a place and a set of practices. Organisations like oriGIn help make that collective voice heard beyond the place itself.
Some bells don’t just protect names. They help the communities behind those names protect their reputation, livelihoods and place in the global marketplace.
EVENTS
1. Webinar: AI-Powered Patent Landscaping – Turning Emerging Technology Questions into Strategic IP Insight | IPWatchdog
18 August 2026 | 12:00–1:00 PM (EDT)
Cormac Creagh and Siddhartha Singh from LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions will explore how AI-powered patent landscaping can turn complex technology questions into structured, actionable patent insights. Using two emerging-technology case studies, the webinar will demonstrate how Protégé in LexisNexis PatentSight+ can support the process of defining a question, exploring a technology landscape, analysing results, identifying patterns, and investigating findings in greater depth. The session will also examine how IP professionals can use AI-generated insights with confidence, followed by a discussion and audience Q&A with Gene Quinn.
More info | Register here
2. Get More from the Hague System: Advanced Search and Portfolio Management Essentials | WIPO
19 August 2026 | 8:30 PM (IST)
Join this practical webinar to explore the latest enhancements to the International Designs Bulletin’s advanced search feature, as well as tools and processes to help manage your Hague System portfolio more efficiently. The session will demonstrate how to create detailed search queries using the enhanced search functionality, with live examples and practical tips.
More info | Register here
3. Webinar and Ask the Expert Series 2026: Program of Experts – Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Knowledge Economy | WIPO
28 August 2026 | Virtual Time: 14:00–16:00 (Geneva Time)
Organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization, this session will feature Álvaro González, Head of User Experience and Business Intelligence Department at National Institute of Industrial Property, who will deliver a presentation titled “Creating Agents to Support the Patent Search.”
More info | Join here
4. The Future of the Copyright Act Symposium | The George Washington Center for Law and Technology
2 – 3 October 2026 | Hybrid
The George Washington Center for Law and Technology: The Bernard Center is hosting The Future of the Copyright Act Symposium as the Copyright Act of 1976 approaches its 50th anniversary. Bringing together leading copyright scholars, the two-day symposium will examine what the next 50 years of copyright law should look like, including whether the Act can continue to evolve through targeted reforms or whether it should be reconsidered in light of today’s technological and cultural landscape. The symposium will be held in a hybrid format at the GW Law Faculty Conference Center and online. In-person attendance is by invitation or special permission only, while anyone may register to attend via livestream.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Lecturer of Law | Birmingham City University
Application Deadline: 24 August 2026 | 23:59 (BST)
Birmingham City University is inviting applications for a full-time, permanent Lecturer of Law position at the School of Law and Social Sciences. The role involves designing, developing and delivering learning and teaching materials across a range of modules or within a subject area, contributing to activities that influence leading-edge practice, and potentially undertaking research activity.
More info
2. Academic Openings | Chinese University of Hong Kong, (CUHK) LAW
Application Deadline: 15 September 2026
CUHK LAW is inviting applications for Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor positions. The Faculty is particularly interested in candidates specialising in foundational common law subjects (especially private law subjects), artificial intelligence and law, intellectual property law, and PRC law. Exceptionally well-qualified candidates in other areas of legal scholarship may also be considered.
More info
3. Call for Papers: Street Art – Economics, Policy and Measurement of Urban Creativity | WIPO & ACEI Conference Workshop 2027
Submission Deadline: 7 December 2026
Selected papers will be presented in 2027 in a dedicated street art session at the 24th ACEI International Conference on Cultural Economics, hosted by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá and co-organised with the Association for Cultural Economics International (ACEI). The exact date is to be confirmed by the organisers. Upon paper acceptance, WIPO offers travel and accommodation support for researchers from developing economies.
More info
Thanks to Prof Aakanksha Kumar, Niharika and Lokesh for the leads!
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