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: The Man Who Helped Build India’s Trademark Law
Before every brand had a registration number, a trademark database, or a legal team ready to protect it, India had to first build a system for recognising and protecting trademarks.
One person who played an important role in that story was Dr. S. Venkateswaran.
In 1930, Venkateswaran joined the Patent Office in Calcutta as a patent examiner. Five years later, he published The Law of Trade and Merchandise Marks in India, drawing attention to a fairly fundamental problem: India did not yet have a statutory system for registering trademarks. Traders largely had to rely on cumbersome passing-off actions to protect their marks. A contemporary review in Nature described his book not only as a comprehensive guide to trademark law, but also as a powerful argument for the legislation that he believed India needed.
The argument did not remain on paper for long.
The Trade Marks Act, 1940 became India’s first comprehensive statute providing for the registration and protection of trademarks. IP India’s history of the Trade Marks Registry records Venkateswaran’s 1935 work as an important part of the journey towards that legislation, with the 1940 Bill based on recommendations he had made.
Venkateswaran continued to be closely involved in the system he had helped shape. He became Assistant Registrar of Trade Marks in 1940, Registrar in 1954, and in 1959 took charge as the first Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.
What makes his story particularly interesting is that he was not simply documenting a legal system that already existed. He was writing at a time when that system was still missing and helping make the case for why it was needed.
The trademark regime would go on to change considerably: from the 1940 Act to the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958, and eventually the Trade Marks Act, 1999. But the question that Venkateswaran was grappling with in the 1930s remains at the heart of trademark law: how do we protect the identity and reputation that businesses build in the marketplace?
This week, we ring the bell for Dr. S. Venkateswaran, one of the early architects of India’s trademark system.
EVENTS
1. WIPO & AIPLA Webinar: Beyond the Basics: Navigating Global Patent Filing
17 September 2026 | 4:00–5:00 PM Geneva time | Online
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) are co-hosting a free webinar on using the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System to seek patent protection internationally. The session will cover the PCT timeline, best practices for international patent filing, restoration case studies, the benefits and practical use of ePCT, and recent developments and updates relating to the PCT System. The webinar is designed for both newcomers to international patent filing and experienced practitioners.
More info | Register here
2. WIPO Seminar on SEPs and Dispute Resolution
12–13 October 2026 | WIPO Headquarters, Geneva, and online
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is hosting a seminar bringing together judges, policymakers, industry representatives, practitioners, academics and other experts to examine the evolving landscape of Standard Essential Patent (SEP) disputes and the practical tools available to address them. Discussions will cover judicial approaches across jurisdictions, multi-jurisdictional litigation strategies, the role of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and approaches to assessing fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms. Participants attending in person will also be able to join focused workshops on SEP transparency, access to legal information, and stakeholder needs.
More info | Register here
3. FIVE LEAF Lecture: Copyright’s Expanding Negative Space in Fashion
29 October 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Hybrid
FIVE LEAF is launching its new series of public lectures with Professor David Tan of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Law, who will deliver a lecture entitled “Copyright’s Expanding Negative Space in Fashion: Is Bigger Better?” The lecture will be introduced and chaired by Prof Johanna Gibson, Director of the FIVE LEAF Institute for Law and Aesthetics and Programme Director for the LLM in Fashion Law at QMUL. The lecture is free but registration is essential, with limited places. It will be followed by a drinks reception. The lecture can also be attended online.
More info | Register here
4. AIII: Annual Meeting 2026 | WIPO
10 November 2026 | 10:00 AM–6:00 PM CET | Hybrid | WIPO Headquarters, Geneva
The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Interchange (AIII) is a WIPO initiative launched on 17 March 2026 to facilitate global dialogue on the technical and operational aspects of the intellectual property system in the context of artificial intelligence. The Annual Meeting 2026 will provide updates on the work of the Technical Exchange Network (TEN), a global network of technical experts discussing the intersection of IP and AI, and an opportunity for Member States and Observers to provide input and feedback. The programme will include presentations and panel discussions with TEN members sharing progress on its initial deliverables. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with virtual access via Zoom and webcast. Interpretation will be provided in all six UN official languages, and the webcast will be recorded for later viewing.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Assistant Professor (Law) – 2-Year Contract | 10 Positions | NLSIU, Bengaluru
Application Deadline: 16 September 2026 | 5:00 PM IST
Applications are invited for 10 Assistant Professor (Law) positions on a 2-year contract, with all positions unreserved. Subjects include Law of Evidence, Labour Law, Criminal Procedure, Corporate Law, Civil Procedure, Family Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Law and Technology. Practice experience is ideally preferred for Criminal Procedure and Civil Procedure, while Corporate Law positions particularly seek expertise in investment and foreign exchange law. Assistant Professors (Contract) will be full-time members of university departments/faculties, working in an interdisciplinary environment and collaborating with colleagues on research and teaching.
More info
2. PhD (Law) Admissions | Chanakya National Law University, Patna
Application Deadline: 3 October 2026
Chanakya National Law University, Patna invites applications for admission to its PhD (Law) programme. Applicants must fill the relevant Google Form after paying the application fee online and attach a research proposal of 1,500–2,000 words with the application. Application Fee: General and all other categories: ₹3,000 SC/ST candidates: ₹1,000.
More info
Thanks to Lokesh and Swaraj 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.