Hi everyone, welcome back to Bells & Whistles!
Before we get to this week’s bell, just a quick reminder in case you missed it on the blog, applications for the SpicyIP Summer School 2026 are now open. The summer school will take place June 20 – 28th in Whitefield, Bengaluru, and it’s shaping up to be another really exciting edition.
If you’ve been meaning to apply, this might be a good moment to hop over and check out the announcement post. Please keep an eye on the Summer School page and SpicyIP social media for more details about the wonderful faculty joining us this year.
Alright, now let’s get to this week’s bell.
Bell of the Week: Aura and the Work of Art
Some bells don’t just chime, they make you pause and look again.
This week, I found myself returning to Walter Benjamin and his famous book, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Writing in the 1930s, Benjamin spoke about the “aura” of a work of art: the sense of presence tied to the time, place, and circumstances in which it was created. A painting carried the marks of the hand that made it, the material it was made on, the moment in which it came into being. Mechanical reproduction, he argued, stripped some of this aura away.
Reading him today, I cannot help but think about how much further we have travelled. Creation has moved steadily from analogue to digital, and now, increasingly, into the realm of generative AI. Images, music, and text can be produced instantly, endlessly, and often indistinguishably from one another.
And strangely, this has made something else feel more valuable: imperfection.
A hesitation in a brushstroke, a slightly uneven note, a line that carries the marks of revision. These “errors” quietly reveal the time, effort, and skill of the person behind the work. In a world of seamless generation, these traces begin to feel like evidence of presence.
Perhaps this is not so far from what Benjamin was observing. That the aura of a work lies not only in the object itself, but in the human labour, context and feeling that brought it into being.
Some bells do not just chime, they remind us why the human touch still lingers in the works we value.
EVENTS
1. Roundtable: “The Copyrightability of AI Outputs” – Dialogue x ADP Law Offices
16 March 2026 | New Delhi
The Dialogue and ADP Law Offices will host the inaugural roundtable of a discussion series on “The Copyrightability of AI Outputs.” The event will convene experts to explore the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence, examining how copyright law should respond to AI-generated works. Those interested in attending may express interest by writing to Kriti Singh at kriti[at]thedialogue[dot]co.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
SpicyIP Summer School 2026: Rethinking IP – Foundations, Faults, and Futures
20–28 June 2026 | Whitefield, Bengaluru | Residential Programme
The SpicyIP Summer School returns with a 9-day residential programme designed to cultivate critical pluralism in intellectual property law and policy, inspired by the legacy of Shamnad Basheer. Limited to 25 participants, the programme brings together scholars, practitioners, and students for intensive discussions and collaborative learning. This year’s theme, “Rethinking IP: Foundations, Faults, and Futures,” focuses on three interlinked terrains of engagement that shape every session, encouraging participants to critically examine the conceptual foundations, systemic shortcomings, and future directions of IP law and policy. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
More info
1. Director, Centre for Justice Through Technology (CJT) | Vinayaka Mission’s Law School
Applications open | Paiyanoor, Chengalpattu (India)
Vinayaka Mission’s Law School invites applications for the position of Director, Centre for Justice Through Technology (CJT). The Centre focuses on legal technology, AI-driven research, startup incubation and interdisciplinary collaboration within the VMRF ecosystem. The role involves strategic leadership, research innovation in legal technology, incubation of justice-tech initiatives, academic training, industry collaboration, and administrative oversight of the Centre. Applicants must hold an LLM (mandatory) or PhD in Law (preferred) with 7 – 10 years of combined experience in legal practice, academia, or legal technology leadership, and demonstrated expertise in AI/ML for legal data, document automation, and justice delivery systems is highly desirable. Interested candidates should email their CV and a brief vision statement for CJT to exec[dot]dean[at]vmls[dot]edu[dot]in and antonyrjulian[at]julianlawoffices[dot]law.
More info
2. Visiting Researchers Programme | Maastricht Centre for European Law (MCEL)
Application Deadline: 31 March 2026 | Research Visits: 1 September 2026 – 31 January 2027
The Maastricht Centre for European Law invites applications for its Visiting Researchers Programme. Selected scholars will undertake a research stay of one to five months at Maastricht University, working closely with an MCEL advisor while participating in seminars, workshops, and other academic activities. Visiting researchers will also have access to the university’s library resources, online databases, and flexible workspace, while joining a vibrant international research community.
More info
Thanks to Swaraj for the leads and Aditya Gupta for introducing me to Walter Benjamin’s work!
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.