In Search Of A Smart Judiciary In Turkey And Europe
Mehmet Gün, senior partner at Gün + Partners, Istanbul, traverses the gaps in Turkish and continental civil procedure, where inefficient disclosure rules are choking an overloaded justice system arguably leading to double procedural standards and high budgetary costs for some EU member states Turkey’s desire to join the European Union is well-known. Lesser known is the response of the EU policymakers to issues that arise from the same root cause as in the Turkish justice… »
Official Trademark Bulletin Now Published Twice a Month
On February 18 2016, the Turkish Patent Institute (TPI) announced that the Official Trademark Bulletin will now be published twice a month. The bulletin was previously published on the 12th of each month but will now be published on the 12th and 27th of each month or the next working day if either of those days falls at the weekend. This change is expected to require a much stricter follow-up of the bulletin and the legal opposition deadlines in order to avoid the possible… »
Appetite for Iranian Uncertainty
In light of the Turkish Prime Minister’s recent visit to Iran, the removal of sanction is opening up new opportunities for Turkey; with other nations following suit. Upon confirmation from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran has completed the necessary preparatory steps to start the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on January 16, 2016, both the US and the EU announced that certain economic and financial sanctions had been lifted. On the… »
Outside Influence
Turkey has been among the fastest growing insurance markets of its size in Europe. Along with the rapid growth in its insurance sector, there have been major changes to its legislation in the last few years. New laws have improved the regulatory framework and brought the industry more in to line with international practice. Although its top three insurers are Turkey-based, the market has a high level of foreign investment from Gulf countries, Malaysia and Europe. The current… »
TPI Finally Publishes New Draft IP Law
On February 24 2016 the Turkish Patent Institute (TPI) published its long-awaited draft IP Law proposing amendments to patent rights in Turkey. The government has decided to regulate all IP rights in a single act: Book 4 of the act covers patent rights, while Book 5 covers common clauses for all IP rights (ie, trademarks, geographical indications, designs and patents). Improvements The draft appears to be promising, particularly in comparison to the previous proposals to… »
Social Security Institution Publishes Clarifying Addendum to New Data-Sharing Guidelines
Introduction On January 8 2016 the Social Security Institution announced details of the application form required to request access to the personal data that it holds. The application form was prepared by the Data Sharing Commission, established as part of the Social Security Institution pursuant to the Guidelines on the Procedures and Principles Relating to the Use, Sharing and Protection of Social Security Institution Data. The Social Security Institution’s announcement… »