A brand or a creative work is effort and reputation made concrete. We handle registrations and take legal action against infringements of your rights.
Scope
- Trademark, patent and design applications
- Oppositions and appeals before the Turkish Patent Office
- Infringement and unfair competition actions
- Copyright and publishing agreements
- Licensing and assignment agreements
Industrial property: trademarks, patents and designs
Trademarks, patents, utility models and designs are protected by the Turkish Industrial Property Code No. 6769 and registered through applications to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. Registration gives the owner the right to stop others from using it without permission.
A registered trademark is protected for ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods. Patents last twenty years and utility models ten. Registered designs are protected for five years and can be renewed up to twenty-five.
Oppositions and appeals
A published trademark application can be opposed within two months of its publication in the bulletin. Office decisions can be appealed to its Re-examination and Evaluation Board, whose decisions can in turn be challenged before the Ankara Intellectual and Industrial Property Court within two months of service.
Copyright and agreements
Literary, musical, artistic and cinematographic works, as well as computer programs, are protected by the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works No. 5846. Copyright arises when the work is created, without registration, and lasts seventy years after the author’s death.
Licence and assignment agreements set the scope, duration and territory of the rights. Clear written agreements greatly reduce the risk of later disputes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a trademark registration last in Turkey?
Ten years from the filing date, renewable indefinitely for further ten-year periods. Renewal should be filed in the six months before the end of the protection period.
How do I oppose a similar trademark application?
File an opposition with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office within two months of the application’s publication in the Official Trademark Bulletin, setting out the earlier right and the likelihood of confusion.
Do I need to register my work to protect it?
No. Copyright arises automatically when the work is created. Notarial records or voluntary registration can still help prove authorship and date.
Articles are for general information only; always consult a lawyer about your specific situation.