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Insights

We share our knowledge and expertise to update our community and clients about legal developments in Turkey.

Assignment of Copyrights

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Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works No. 5846 (the “LIAW”) takes a very formalistic approach regarding the transfer of copyrights arising from these types of work. Under Turkish copyright law, the general principle is that the person who actually creates a work is the author of that work. The “work made for hire” concept is not accepted under Turkish law. The right transfers should be made in writing, once the work is embodied, indicating, expressly, which rights are… »

Notice and Takedown Procedure for Copyright Protection

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Copyrights are amongst the most infringed-upon rights in the internet environment. On this account, Turkey applies a notice and takedown system in online copyright infringement cases as a practical tool, which is also widely recognized in many jurisdictions around the globe. In Turkey, copyrights are protected under Law on Literary and Artistic Works No. 5846 (“Law No. 5846”). According to Law No. 5846, if a work is adapted, duplicated and circulated, performed or broadcast… »

Artificial Intelligence and Copyright

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Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is defined as “The ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” With the advancement of technology, AI systems have learned to create music and art and, furthermore, today, AI can write poems, novels, stories, and legal articles. As a result of these developments, discussions have begun regarding AI-created works of art, as well as the notion of ownership and… »

Ownership of the Works Created by the Employee

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Pursuant to Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works (“LIAW”), the owner of the work, in principle, is the person who creates the work, and this person is the exclusive owner of the material and moral rights arising from the creation of the work. According to the LIAW, although material rights may be waived by the author or transferred to third parties, the transfer of moral rights, or waiver of these rights, are not possible in accordance with the mandatory… »

A Brief Review of the Karalis Case

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Mr. Yannis Karalis (“Plaintiff”), a Greek composer and lyrist who is the copyright owner of the “Eclipse” song, which was released in 1997, brought an infringement action against the famous Turkish singer and lyrist, Ms. Sezen Aksu, as well as against other lyrists and several music record and production companies (“Defendants”) due to their infringing use of the cited song in 2003. The Musical Work Owner’s Society of Turkey (“MESAM”) was also informed and involved in the… »

A Closer Look at the Turkish Court of Cassation’s Supervisory Power and Its Boundaries

The Turkish Court of Cassation has been one of the most important authorities of the Turkish judicial system, which has been on duty since mid-1800s. Since the establishment of the Court of Cassation, it has served as the supreme court of our judicial justice system. But the recent decisions of the Court of Cassation made us question its supervisory power as the supreme court as well as the boundaries of this power. Until the regional courts of appeal were established in… »

Terms of Termination Ban and Unilateral Unpaid Leave Have Been Extended Once Again March 2021

As per the Presidential Decree 3592, published in the Official Gazette (31418) dated 09 March 2021, the termination ban and unilateral unpaid leave have been extended for a further two months as of 17 March 2021. In this regard, the termination ban and unilateral unpaid leave are currently projected to end on 17 May 2021. However, the President is entitled to extend these terms until 30 June 2021. »

IP Court Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Drug in Turkey’s Named Patient Programme

The Istanbul Civil Court for Intellectual and Industrial Rights has granted a preliminary injunction to remove a pharmaceutical product from the foreign drug list of the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TMMDA). The drug was supposed to be supplied via the named patient programme (NPP) and was removed on the grounds of patent infringement. Further, the supplier company has been prevented from directly or indirectly commercialising the product, which includes its… »

Significant Amendments to Preliminary Examination

Civil Procedure Code No. 6100 (“CPC”) entered into force on 01 October 2011 by replacing the former Civil Procedure Code No. 1086. One of the most significant mechanisms introduced by the CPC was preliminary examination. Under Turkish law, first stage of a trial is the initiation of a lawsuit and exchange of petitions, which is followed by the preliminary examination. During the preliminary examination, the court examines the causes of action, initial objections, points of… »

Transfer of Data Abroad

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Sensitive and non-sensitive personal data can be transferred abroad if the explicit consent of the data subject is obtained. Furthermore, other legal grounds will also apply to the transfer of personal data to the foreign country. However, the destination country must have “sufficient protection” in order to conclude the transfer abroad based on legal grounds (except for having obtained explicit consent). A list of jurisdictions that provide sufficient protection is to be… »

Transfer of Data to Third Party

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Sensitive and non-sensitive personal data may be transferred to third parties if the explicit consent of the data subject is obtained, or if one of the additional legal grounds is applicable for such transfer. The Data Protection Law does not provide a definition for a third party; therefore, any individual or entity (other than the data controller and the data subject) may be considered a third party. This creates a problem, especially in relation to transfers between data… »

Cross-border IP Right Assignments 2021 in Turkey

Key aspects of intellectual property right assignments Definition of IP Rights Does the definition of "Intellectual Property Rights" in Standard document, Assignment of intellectual property rights: Cross-border: clause 1.1 include any rights that are not recognised in your jurisdiction? If yes, what are those rights? Standard document, Assignment of intellectual property rights: Cross-border: clause 1.1 does not include any rights that are not recognised in Turkey… »

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