SpicyIP Bells and Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities

[Gaurangi Kapoor]

Welcome to our new periodic: SpicyIP Bells and Whistles!

With IP awareness increasing and with more and more events, opportunities and interests developing, we thought we’d try to help our readers stay in touch with events and opportunities going on!

Each week, we’ll be rounding up IP events which are free or nominally charged from India and around the world that we think our readers might enjoy. Alongside these, you’ll also find a curated list of exciting opportunities: fellowships, jobs, and scholarships that could be worth exploring. (Shoutout to IPKat and others who have been doing this for years! Though of course ours will be a bit more targeted towards the ‘bells and whistles’ of interest to the Indian IP landscape).

These events and opportunities aren’t run or endorsed by us unless we say otherwise. We’re simply bringing them to your attention so you don’t miss out. We’d love to know what you think of this new series, please drop your thoughts in the comments! And if you know of an event or opportunity that deserves a spot here, drop us a line at contact[at]spicyip[dot]com.

EVENTS

1. Lightning in a Bottle (NLSIU – JSW Centre for the Future of Law)

22 September 2025 | 4 PM | Online
Brief: Dr. Dev Gangjee, Professor of IP Law at the University of Oxford, will present his paper on genome editing, GIs, and climate change in wine production.
Register here | More details

OPPORTUNITIES

1. NLSIU Research Fellowships

Deadline: Rolling Applications
Brief: Call for applications to research fellowships across multiple positions at NLSIU.
Apply here

2. Doctoral Researcher in IP Law (University of Luxembourg)

Preferred start: Autumn/Winter 2025
Brief: Full time PhD position in IP law with opportunities to join ongoing projects, publish, and develop dissertation research.
Apply here

3. PhD Programme & IBIL IP Scholarship (UCL Faculty of Laws)

Start: September 2026
Deadline: 18 November 2025
Brief: UCL Faculty of Laws offers PhD scholarships including IBIL IP scholarship, widening participation scholarships and open awards across IP fields.
Programme details | Scholarship info

4. Winter Research Fellowship (Institute for Law & AI – LawAI)

Deadline: 12 October 2025 | Cambridge, UK | Remote possible
Brief: Paid research fellowship for law students, PhD holders and professionals to conduct AI law and policy research with dedicated mentors.
More info

5. Graduate Research Fellowships (NLSIU – JSW Centre for the Future of Law)

Deadline: 25 September 2025 | 5 PM IST
Brief: NLSIU invites applications for two graduate research fellowship positions with a duration of 1 – 2 years.
Apply now

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.

[Gaurangi Kapoor]

Hello again, and welcome back to SpicyIP Bells and Whistles!

We hope you enjoyed last week’s inaugural roundup of IP events and opportunities. This week, we’re back with a fresh batch of happenings: from webinars and workshops to internships, curated to keep you in the loop with the latest in the Indian and global IP landscape.

Remember: we’re just your friendly IP scouts. Unless we say otherwise, none of these events are run or endorsed by us. Our role here is just to flag events and opportunities you might want to know about!

Your feedback helps us improve this series, so do share your thoughts! And if you know of an event or opportunity that deserves a shoutout, drop us a line at contact[at]spicyip[dot]com.

EVENTS

1. Chemical Searches in PATENTSCOPE (WIPO Webinar)
30 September 2025 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Geneva time (9:00 – 10:00 PM IST) | Virtual
Brief: A WIPO webinar introducing strategies and tools for conducting chemical structure and sequence searches using the PATENTSCOPE database.
Register here

2. Plant Variety Protection: Understanding the PLUTO Plant Variety Database (WIPO Webinar)
30 September 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Geneva time (2:30 – 3:30 PM IST) | Virtual
Brief: Part of the September 2025 WIPO Nigeria Monthly Webinar series, this session introduces the PLUTO Plant Variety Database and its role in plant variety protection.
Register here

3. Artificial Intelligence & Patent Law (Qlay, American Patent Agency, InvoCons, Open Network Lab)
2 October 2025 | 5:30 AM – 7:30 AM IST | Online (YouTube)
Brief: A discussion on the intersection of AI and patent law, with insights on how legal frameworks are adapting. Guest speakers include Stephen Hou (American Patent Agency) and Rajesh Singh (InvoCons).
More Info

4. Policy Perspectives on AI & Non-Traditional Marks (INTA Webinar)
9 October 2025 | 4:00 – 5:00 PM IST | Virtual (Zoom)
Brief: Part 1 of a two-part INTA webinar series exploring how AI is reshaping non-traditional marks (NTMs): holographic logos, AI jingles, scents etc. Panel includes IP practitioners and legal academics.
Register here

5. Taylor Swift and IP: A Legal Celebration of Life of a Showgirl
9 October 2025 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM AST (9:30 – 11:00 PM IST) | Virtual (Zoom)
Brief: A webinar marking the launch of Taylor Swift’s 12th album, Life of a Showgirl, through the lens of IP law. Topics include re-recording masters, trademark disputes, and the role of fan relationships in shaping IP strategies.
Speakers include Prof. Rachel Landy (Cardozo School of Law), Prof. Rachael Dickson (Willamette University), and Dr. Emma Perot & Dr. Justin Koo (UWI St. Augustine).
More Info | Register now

OPPORTUNITIES

1. IPR Internship Programme (Office of the CGPDTM, Government of India)
Deadline: Applications open throughout the year
Brief: CGPDTM invites applications for its IPR Internship Programme, offered in both online (30 days) and offline modes (ranging from 30 days to 12 months across Patent, Design, Trademark, GI, Copyright, and other IP offices in India). The internship is non-remunerative but provides exposure to IP administration, procedures, and research opportunities.
More info | Apply here