The Effect of COVID-19 Outbreak on Deadlines in Protection of Intellectual and Industrial Rights
Following the enactment of The Law on Amendment of Certain Laws No. 7226 (“Law”), which entered into force upon publication in the Official Gazette dated 26 March 2020, the terms determined as per the Industrial Property Code (“IP Code”), applied either by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (“Office”) or before the relevant courts as statute of limitations for filing lawsuits, has been suspended. As per the Law, all terms suspended for the period between March 13, 2020… »
COVID-19 Suspended the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Proceedings and the Terms
In scope of the measures taken to prevent COVID-19 outbreak from spreading within our country, the Presidential Decree on Suspension of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Proceedings dated 21 March 2020 and numbered 2279 (“the Presidential Decree”), which was issued based on Article 330 of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Act, has entered into force upon publication in the Official Gazette dated 22 March 2020 and numbered 31076. As per this Presidential Decree, all of the… »
COVID-19 Suspended Judicial Terms
The Law on Amendment of Certain Laws No. 7226 entered into force upon publication in the Repeated Official Gazette dated 26 March 2020 and numbered 31080. With the Law No. 7226, the procedural terms will be suspended until 30 April 2020 in order to prevent any loss of rights in regard to trials, due to the measures taken for COVID-19 outbreak. In this respect; Any and all terms in scope of the acquisition, use or extinction of a right, including the terms for filing… »
Health Claims for Anti-Coronavirus Products in Advertising
As coronavirus cases continue to spread in Turkey and around the globe, ads for food supplements and food claiming to prevent the effects of the virus have been rampant in every media including TV, radio and internet. Legal authorities competent for ruling and supervising health claims in advertisements launched investigations since some advertisements of food supplements were considered to be unlawful, some food supplements advertised are not even authorized for sale and… »
Is a Minor Difference From a Patented Range Enough to Win an Infringement Case?
There is no explicit rule in Turkish law that covers patent infringement in cases where a product possesses a minor difference from a patented range. Further, Turkish High Court decisions have not shed any direct light on this matter. However, there have been several infringement actions brought before IP courts, wherein a rights holder has alleged that a product, which varies slightly from its patent’s scope of protection, is considered to be infringing. Thus far, the… »
No Separate Claim for Interest Needed When Increasing Value of Claim in Dispute
On 24 May 2019 the Supreme Court General Assembly on the Unification of Judgments (General Assembly) concluded that the plaintiff in a partial monetary action need not reiterate its claim for interest when increasing the value of the claim if it claimed interest for its principal receivables in the plaint petition and the claim of interest will automatically apply for the amount which is increased later on (Decision 2017/8 E, 2019/3 K). Background Partial claim actions are… »
Key Developments and Predictions for Copyright Law in Turkey
Copyright protection is granted under Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works No. 5846 (the “LIAW”) in Turkey. The LIAW entered into force on January 01, 1952, and was amended in the years of 1983, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2007 and, lastly, 2008. The Draft Bill on the Amendment of the Code (the “Draft Bill”) was published for public opinion on May 05, 2017; however, there is currently no indication that this Draft Bill will enter into force in the near future. On the other hand, the… »
Assignment of Copyrights
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 the 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
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… »
Fair Use Doctrine
Intellectual Property Law, in principle, rewards the creativity of owners by granting them privileged rights on related works within the scope of copyright legislations, and prohibits reproduction, transmission, representation or use of the work in other ways, without the consent of the owner. On the other hand, the “Fair Use” doctrine, which basically finds application in Anglo-Saxon legal systems, allows limited use on copyrighted work without the permission of the right… »
Compensation Liability for Copyright Infringement
The author or the owner of a work is entitled to claim compensation in the case of violation of economic and moral rights arising from the ownership of the work protected under Law No. 5846, the Intellectual and Artistic Works (the “LIAW”), in addition to other legal remedies. Article 70 of the LIAW regulates the compensation that may be claimed based on violation of economic and moral rights, separately. Accordingly, the author whose moral rights have been infringed, is… »
Copyrights Overlapping other IP rights
The overlapping of copyrights with other IP rights, in particular, with trademarks and designs, is a common case in many jurisdictions, including Turkey. It refers to the protection of an intellectual creation under both copyright law and trademark or design law. In Turkey, an intellectual creation benefits from cumulative protection, if it simultaneously fulfils the criteria to be protected as a copyrighted work under Law of Literary and Artistic Works No. 5846 (“Law No.… »