Court of Appeals Evaluates Likelihood of Confusion for Descriptive Trademarks
The Assembly of Civil Chambers of the Court of Appeals recently ruled that trademarks containing identical descriptive phrases give rise to a likelihood of confusion, thereby reversing the first-instance court’s decision that there is no likelihood of confusion between such trademarks. The assembly’s approach grants exclusive rights over descriptive and generic phrases found in trademarks which could legitimise unfair competition between rights holders and render notions such… »
Supreme Court Overturns IP Court Decision Declaring Second Medical use Patent Null and Void
The Supreme Court recently issued its first decision on the patentability of second medical use claims in Turkey, marking a milestone for patent holders. In 2014 the Istanbul IP Court held that the second medical use claims granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) under the European Patent Convention (EPC) 1973 (ie, before the EPC 2000 entered into force) were null and void, as the legal grounds to support such claims were introduced to the EPC only in new Article 54(4) of… »
New Regulation on Promotional Activities for Pharmaceutical Products
Introduction The Turkish Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency’s (TMMDA) new Regulation on the Promotional Activities of Pharmaceutical Products for Human Use was published in the Official Gazette on July 3 2015. Most of the provisions of the new regulation entered into force on the date of publication, without a transitional period. The new regulation abolishes the previous Regulation on the Promotional Activities for Medicinal Products for Human Use (as published in the… »
Enforcement of Foreign Judgements 2016, Turkey Chapter
1 Treaties Is your country party to any bilateral or multilateral treaties for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments? What is the country’s approach to entering into these treaties and what if any amendments or reservations has your country made to such treaties? Other than the multilateral treaties on family law, Turkey is not a signatory to multilateral treaties for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. However, Turkey… »
Turkish IP System Continues to Evolve Despite Unresolved Issues
As a bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Turkey continues to attract the attention of both foreign investors and IP infringers. Turkey has been adapting its IP legislation in line with international treaties since the mid-1990s. Its current IP regime largely complies with EU legislation and provides sufficient legal basis to protect the rights of IP owners. Specialised IP courts serve in three major cities (Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir), and the police and customs… »
Decoding Products – Where IP Rights Clash with Competition Rules
Cases involving decoding – where retailers alter or remove the identifying marks placed on goods by rights holders – sit at the intersection of IP and competition law and need careful analysis, depending on both the sector and jurisdiction involved Decoding cases are one of the best examples of the interrelation between IP rights and competition rules, requiring an in-depth analysis of IP protection and free trade with – in most cases – rights holders on one side and parallel… »