SpicyIP Bells & Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities (01.12.2025)
Gaurangi Kapoor
Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles!
We’re kicking things off with exciting news for the moot community — DPIIT (through CIPAM) has released the International IP Moot Court Funding Guidelines, 2025. This long-awaited framework aims to support Indian teams competing in global IP moots, easing financial hurdles and encouraging broader participation.
Thahir has broken down the key highlights and what this means for students in his latest post — do check it out on the SpicyIP blog post!
Bell of the Week: The Ayyangar Committee Report (1959)
This week’s shout-out goes to a document that quietly shaped the foundations of India’s patent system — the Ayyangar Committee Report, authored by Justice N. Rajagopala Ayyangar in 1959. Often cited but rarely read in full, the report remains one of the most intellectually rigorous policy documents in Indian IP history.
Justice Ayyangar’s analysis laid down the framework that ultimately informed the Patents Act, 1970, particularly India’s emphasis on preventing abuse of patent monopolies, ensuring access to medicines, and encouraging domestic innovation. Long before TRIPS or global access-to-medicines debates, the report articulated a distinctly Indian approach to balancing public interest with technological progress.
More than six decades later, many of its observations on transparency, examiner expertise, working requirements, and evergreening continue to feel uncannily relevant — reminding us how forward-looking Indian IP thought has always been.
EVENTS
1. PIJIP Supreme Court Series — Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment
1 December 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM EDT | Hybrid
PIJIP announces the final panelists for this session of the Intellectual Property at the Supreme Court Series, moderated by Professor Michael Carroll. The discussion brings together counsel of record and selected amici to share post-argument reflections on this significant copyright case. Hosted by American University Washington College of Law, the Series convenes expert insights on the afternoon following oral arguments in IP-related matters before the U.S. Supreme Court.
More info
2. Transparency Series (1×05): Forward, Backward, Stuck? Rethinking Transparency in Pharma Policy (Salud por Derecho: Right to Health Foundation)
12 December 2025 | 7:30–8:15 PM (GMT+5:30)
An online webinar examining recent progress and setbacks in pharmaceutical transparency through two national case studies. The discussion will unpack how European countries are navigating the tension between openness and confidentiality in pharma policy, and what these shifts imply for global transparency efforts aimed at improving access to medicines.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025 (SpicyIP & CIPAM, DPIIT)
Deadline: 14 December 2025
The competition invites law students to present policy solutions on pressing IP and innovation issues. Teams of three (from the same institution) can choose between two themes — Trade Secrets & Confidential Information in the Pharmaceutical Sector and Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs) and Technological Innovation.
More info
SpicyIP–jhana Blogpost Writing Competition 2025
Deadline: 30 December 2025
Organized in collaboration with jhana, the competition will run for six weeks, during which shortlisted entries will be published on the SpicyIP blog after editorial review. The top three entries will be announced in early January 2026. Participants and readers can also access a complimentary one-month jhana.ai Pro account using the promo code SPICYIP to support their research.
More info
1. Call for Applications: Independent Consultants — Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GoI
Deadline: 10 December 2025
The Department of Commerce is inviting applications for Independent Consultants in the Legal discipline. Applicant requirements vary by category (Young Professional, Associate, Consultant, Senior Consultant), including relevant Master’s qualifications and corresponding experience. The upper age limit ranges from 35 to 65 years, depending on the position.
More info
2. Call for Applications: Doctoral Students — Centre for Legal History of India (CLHI), Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory
Deadline: 6 January 2026
The Department for European and Comparative Legal History, under the directorship of Professor Stefan Vogenauer, invites applications for three full-time Doctoral Student positions at the newly established Centre for Legal History of India (CLHI), led by Dr Reeju Ray. Starting 1 April 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter), the positions offer a three-year fixed term with the possibility of a one-year extension in exceptional cases. Roles are based in Frankfurt/Main with generous mobile-working options (currently up to 40% per month). There are also vacancies for guest residencies and postdoctoral research fellowships.
More info
Thanks to Niharika, Lokesh and 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.
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