The Supervisory Power of The Re-Examination and Evaluation Board
It is observed that the supervisory power of the Re-examination and Evaluation Board (“Higher Board”), which is in charge of examining and finalizing appeals against the decisions taken by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (the “Office”) regarding the registration of IP rights, is in the form of a review of expediency. This issue is regulated in paragraph 4 of Article 6 of the Regulation on the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office Board of the Re-examination and… »
Legislative Developments for Artificial Intelligence in Turkiye
With the rapid expansion of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and its integration into all areas of life, it has become essential to establish a legal framework that regulates the safe and ethical development, distribution and use of AI systems, considering the complexity and unique characteristics of this technology. In addition to promoting the safe, transparent, and human rights-respecting development of AI technologies, and aiming to protect the safety, rights, and… »
From Plant to Pill: Introducing Cannabis to the Pharma Industry
The Regulation on the Cultivation and Control of Cannabis for the Production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients ("Regulation") prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (“Ministry”) was published and came into force upon being published in the Official Gazette numbered 32661 dated 13 September, 2024. The Regulation includes provisions on the control, harvesting, evaluation, processing, disposal, display, export and/or purchase/sale of cannabis cultivation for the… »
IP Rights 2024 in Türkiye: Overview
Patents Requirements to Obtain a Patent 1. Provide a brief definition of a patent, the key legal requirements to obtain it and the law that applies. Conditions for a Patent A patent is an industrial property right that gives the patent owner the right to prevent third parties from certain activities such as producing, using, selling, or importing the product or process that is the subject of the invention for a 20-year period. The applicant must prove the following to obtain… »
IP in Business Transactions 2024 in Turkey
IP Assignment Assignment Basis and Formalities 1. On what basis can the main IPRs be assigned? What formalities apply? Patents Basis for patent assignment. Under the Intellectual Property Law No. 6769 (IP Law), a patent can be assigned in whole. A patent cannot be assigned in part. Formalities for patent assignment. Under the IP Law, a patent assignment must be in writing and signed by both parties and notarised before a notary public. Registration of a patent assignment with… »
Update on the Medical Devices Regulations in Turkey
All kinds of manufacturing, marketing, and after-sales activities of medical devices are highly regulated in Turkey. The main framework for ensuring safety and compliance with the technical specifications is governed by the Law on Product Safety and Technical Specifications No. 7,223, which is an umbrella legislation covering all products intended to be placed on the market, supplied, or placed on the Turkish market. Further to above, general rules and principles of medical… »
The Turkish Court of Cassation Reminds of the Significance of “Vested Rights” in Two Recent Decisions: Frigo V Frico
Güldeniz Doğan Alkan and Dilan Sıla Kayalıca of Gün + Partners consider the Turkish Court of Cassation’s two recent decisions, underlining the significance of “vested rights” in the Turkish trademark law. The concept of “vested rights” is notable in the Turkish trademark law, as it serves as a strong defense against potential refusal of a later mark because of the likelihood of confusion it may create against an earlier one. In its two recent decisions related to the court… »
Guideline on Circumstances Requiring Reissue of a Marketing Authorization For a Licensed Pharmaceutical
The transfer of pharmaceutical marketing authorizations (“MA”) entails intricate and interconnected procedures. Especially when it comes to imported pharmaceuticals, comprehensive contracts control the process when the foreign licensor company gives a license to a distributor in Türkiye and the products are offered for sale in the Turkish market. Before the MA transfer application is submitted to the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (“Agency”), the license… »
Implementation of Discovery of Evidence in Patent Law
One of the most important temporary protection measures regulated by Turkish law is the determination of evidence. The implementation of determination of evidence, which is regulated in Articles 400 et seq. of the Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 and is subject to simple legal procedure, may be requested for the purpose of making a discovery, obtaining an expert examination or taking witness statements in order to determine facts that have yet to be examined in a pending… »
Advertisement Board is Again Able to Block Access
Turkish Constitutional Court (“Court”) annulled the paragraph 12 of Article 77 of the Consumer Protection Law, which granted the Advertisement Board (“Board”) the power to partially or entirely block access to websites containing unlawful advertising content. The relevant rule was considered to be unconstitutional pursuant to the Court’s decision dated 13 September 2023 and numbered 2022/70 E. - 2023/152 K. which was published on the Official Gazette dated 27 October 2023 and… »
The Use of Cannabis in Pharmaceutical Production
After the "Symposium on Local Governments in the Presidential Government System" held on January 9, 2019, the issue of cannabis production in Türkiye was reconsidered, and the "Report and Action Plan on Industrial Cannabis Cultivation in Türkiye" was prepared, and legislative regulations and incentives have been provided, and especially the production of fibers, seeds and stems were supported. On April 5, 2023, another important step was taken regarding Article 1 of the Law… »
Food Supplements
With the regulations published in the Official Gazette numbered 32169 and dated April 20, 2023, comprehensive amendments were made to the legislation on the use of health claims for food and food supplements and the use of nutrition claims. Thus, the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Nutrition Claims under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Regulation on Health Claims for Food and Food Supplements under the authority of the Agency, has entered… »