Welcome to the first Bells & Whistles newsletter of 2026!
As we ease into the new year, a quick reminder that this is also the time when SpicyIP looks back before moving forward. Every year, we put together an Annual Review capturing the most significant IP developments, and the 2025 review is now out. It brings together some of the most important judicial decisions, policy shifts, and regulatory conversations from the past year. It’s worth a slow read or a deeper dive, perfect for reflecting on the past and sparking ideas for what’s ahead.
Bell of the Week: Centre for the Study of the Public Domain (CSPD)
As we step into a new year, this week’s Bell of the Week turns the spotlight to the Centre for the Study of the Public Domain (CSPD) at Duke Law School, a space dedicated to reminding us of something IP debates often forget: what belongs to everyone.
Founded in 2002, the Centre focuses on understanding and celebrating the role of the public domain in shaping speech, culture, science, and innovation. One of its most well-known contributions is its annual work tracking copyrighted works that enter the public domain each year accompanied not just by legal lists, but by thoughtful commentary and delightful insights into why these works matter. You can find the 2025 article here.
Led by scholars such as James Boyle, Arti Rai, David Lange, and Jerome Reichman, with Jennifer Jenkins as Director, CSPD bridges academic research and public policy in a way that feels both rigorous and accessible. Its work consistently nudges us to think about balance in intellectual property systems, not just what is protected, but what is shared.
A fitting Bell to begin the year with: a reminder that creativity, knowledge, and culture grow strongest when the public domain is nurtured, understood, and actively celebrated.
EVENTS
1. Live Information Session on PhD Programmes | National Law School of India University (NLSIU)
8 January 2026 | 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Virtual
NLSIU is conducting a live online information session on its doctoral programmes, providing an overview of the structure and application process for the PhD (Law) and PhD (Social Sciences, Humanities & Public Policy) programmes. The session will feature Dr. Arul George Scaria, PhD Chair and Professor of Law, and Dr. Shiuli Vanaja, PhD Vice-Chair and Assistant Professor (Social Science), who will guide prospective applicants and address queries regarding doctoral research at NLSIU.
More info | Register here
2. Workshop: Unpacking Litigation Strategies in the EU (Data Privacy & Intellectual Property) | EUI Law Department
9 January 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CET | Hybrid
Hosted by the EUI Law Department and the Centre for a Digital Society, together with the Law, Rationalism and Complexity initiative and the InfoSoc Working Group, this hybrid workshop will examine strategic litigation in the European Union, with a particular focus on the intersection of data privacy and intellectual property. The session will feature insights from Sabine Saurugger, Fabien Terpan, and Sofie Fleerackers, with discussants Niccolò Galli, Emmanouil Bougiakiotis, and Camilla Signoretta, and will explore who litigates, why, and to what effect, as well as how litigation strategies interact with lobbying and policy formation.
More info
3. Socio-Legal Workshop: “AI in the Everyday in India” | JSW Centre for the Future of Law, NLSIU
10 January 2026 | NLSIU Training Centre | Open to public
The JSW Centre for the Future of Law at NLSIU, in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick, and Tilburg University, is organising a socio-legal workshop titled “AI in the Everyday in India.” The workshop will bring together interdisciplinary perspectives on how artificial intelligence is embedded in everyday social and legal practices in India.
More info
4. National Conference: ML, AI & IP for Startups | NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
17 January 2026 | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM | In-person
The DPIIT IPR Chair and N C Banerjee Centre of Law, NALSAR University of Law invite participants to the National Conference on ML, AI & IP for Startups. The conference brings together experts, innovators, and policymakers to examine the intersection of emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning. with intellectual property. Attendees will gain insights into IP management, legal opportunities for startups, growth strategies, and emerging challenges, while learning from successful startup journeys and connecting with industry leaders and incubation experts.
Register here | More info
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Call for Applications: Two Fully-Funded PhD Positions | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (LSI & DynamInt)
Deadline: 31 January 2026
The Integrative Research Institute Law & Society Institute (LSI), in cooperation with DynamInt, invites applications for two fully funded PhD positions at the Juristische Fakultät, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, supported by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). The scholarship offers a monthly stipend of €1,400, including research and travel allowances, insurance contributions, and additional benefits. The positions are based in Berlin, Germany, and applications should be submitted to law-and-society[at]hu-berlin[dot]de.
More info
2. Faculty Positions (Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor) | Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Deadline: 31 January 2026
The Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong invites applications for faculty positions at the levels of Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor (Ref: 2500025F). The Faculty particularly welcomes candidates with expertise in foundational common law subjects (especially private law), artificial intelligence and law, banking and finance law, intellectual property law, and PRC law. Appointments will initially be made on a fixed-term basis of up to three years, with the possibility of renewal subject to mutual agreement and satisfactory performance.
More info
3. Call for Papers: Munich Summer Institute 2026 | Munich
Deadline: 8 February 2026
The Munich Summer Institute 2026 will be held as an in-person event in Munich from 20–22 May 2026, focusing on quantitative empirical research in Digitalization, Strategy and Organization, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Law & Economics of Intellectual Property, Innovation & Digitalization. The Institute aims to foster rigorous, in-depth discussion of a select number of research papers and to strengthen an interdisciplinary international research community. Researchers interested in presenting a paper are invited to submit unpublished work online via Editorial Express, with paper selections announced in March 2026, the programme released in early April 2026, and accepted papers shared with participants by 1 May 2026.
More info
Thanks to Aryan, 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.