TURKEY
August 01, 2017
Industrial Property in Turkey have undergone an overhaul and transitioned from being governed by Decree Laws to Constitutional Law. The recently enacted IP Law underlines the developing IP market in Turkey as a result of growing economic conditions and the scope of EU integration as constant additional clauses were unable to keep up with the changing conditions.
The new IP Law has five main sections (Trademark Protection, Geographical Signs and Traditional Product Names, Design Rights, Patent Rights and Common Procedures for the establishment and Operation of the Turkish Trademark and Patent Office). A few of the many changes that will be implemented are the following: a three year protection is conferred to unregistered designs as long as the other party was aware of the unregistered design and acted in bad faith and the removal of the non-substantive patent examination which was available before, by which the invention was provided with 7 years protection.