Insights
Goal Celebrations and Other Distinctive Elements
Recent reports in the Turkish press claiming that Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against Fenerbahçe footballer Kerem Aktürkoğlu for using the nickname “Harry Potter” on the pitch and in social media content, as well as for performing a goal celebration allegedly referring to the fictional universe created by J.K. Rowling, have once again brought to the forefront the intersection between intellectual property law, popular culture, and sports. These developments have reopened… »
Article 138(3) of the EPC: How Turkish Courts Treat Amended Patent Claims
A Turkish case highlights the importance of Article 138(3) when patent claims are amended during an invalidation action, say Selin Sinem Erciyas, Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, and Bengü Şen Gürakan of Gün + Partners Pursuant to Article 138(3) of the European Patent Convention (EPC), a patent proprietor is entitled to limit the patent by amending the claims in proceedings before the competent court or authority relating to the validity of the European patent. According to the same… »
Compensation for Unjust Preliminary Injunctions in Pharmaceutical Patents and Critical Parameters
One of the most complex types of disputes encountered in the field of pharmaceutical patents is compensation lawsuits arising from unjust preliminary injunctions. These compensation lawsuits require meticulous assessment from the perspective of both procedural law and substantive law. Especially, because of the controversies over the nature of fault-based liability arising from the ambiguities in the wording of Article 399 of the Code of Civil Procedure (“CCP”), and where… »
Prohibition of Double Patenting: Assessment within the Framework of the Turkish Patent Office Practice
The prohibition of double patenting is a fundamental principle in patent law that aims to prevent obtaining multiple patent protection for the same invention. This prohibition is intended to prevent both the granting of a second patent for the same invention (narrow sense of double patenting) and the effective extension of the protection period through applications that are not substantially different from each other and contain the same invention idea in terms of technical… »
Can the Exercise of Patent Rights Be Limited by Allegations of Unfair Competition?
Undoubtedly, the initiation of patent infringement actions by patent holders for the purpose of protecting their exclusive rights, as well as the notification of third parties outside the proceedings who are suspected of involvement in infringing activities, fall within the scope of the rights conferred by patent law. Nevertheless, particularly in disputes between originator and generic pharmaceutical companies, the boundary between the exercise of patent rights and the… »
Turkish Court of Cassation’s Stance on Short-Word Trademarks: Analysis
According to the Trademark Examination Guideline of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, which is aligned with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) guidelines, the comparison of trademarks should be based on the overall impression created by the marks. In this assessment, the length of a trademark can be an important factor. In general, the shorter a sign is, the easier it is for the public to perceive each of its elements. Conversely, in longer signs… »
Artificial Intelligence and Trademark Law
The impact of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies on trademark law has been among the frequently debated topics over the past year. As also discussed in our article published last year, while these technologies accelerate processes in terms of trademark registration procedures, they simultaneously necessitate a re-assessment of the human-centered criteria traditionally applied in trademark law. Indeed, Intellectual Property (“IP”) offices worldwide continue to… »
Recent Amendments to the Internet Law numbered 5651 Concerning Social Media and Game Platforms
Implementing legal limitations on the use of social media by children has been the topic of ongoing debate around the world for some time now. Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Internet Broadcasts and Prevention of Crimes Committed through Such Broadcasts (the “Law No: 5651/ Internet Law”) contains many provisions regulating online services used by millions every day. The main objective of the Law was to stipulate quick and effective provisional measures against illegal… »
Functional Equivalence Across Jurisdictions: Convergence Between Turkish Patent Law and the Unified Patent Court
Barely two years after its operational launch, the Unified Patent Court (“UPC”) has already begun shaping a transnational doctrine of patent infringement by equivalence. Between late 2024 and mid-2025, four landmark first-instance decisions — Plant-e v Bioo (The Hague LD), Brussels LD CFI 376/2023, Mannheim LD CFI 471/2023, and N.J. Diffusion v Gisela Mayer (Paris LD) — established, refined, and finally harmonised the analytical framework for assessing functional equivalence… »
An Important European Precedent: Legal Consequences of Statements Concerning Competitors and Its Implications for Türkiye
In today’s business world, competition among companies is shaped not only by the quality of their products and services, but also by their communication strategies with the public. However, the legal boundaries of such statements should be carefully determined. Statements made about competitors, particularly in Europe, may constitute “defamation” which are evaluated within the scope of competition law and provisions concerning unfair competition and may lead to serious legal… »
An Assessment of the Unified Patent Court’s International Jurisdiction and the Sovereign Response of Third States in Light of Recent Case Law
The scope of the international jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court (“UPC”) has, in recent years, become one of the most striking and controversial issues in patent litigation. Having commenced its operations in 2023, the Court was established with the objective of creating a uniform and centralized patent adjudication system across Europe. However, through its recent decisions, the UPC appears not to confine its jurisdiction to Contracting Member States alone, but rather… »
Schrödinger’s Paradox in the Patent World: Can a Marketed Product Fall Outside the Prior Art?
On 2 July 2025, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (“EPO”), in its decision G 1/23, clarified whether a product already placed on the market, but whose internal structure cannot be analysed or reproduced by the skilled person, may nevertheless be excluded from the state of the art in the assessment of inventive step. In doing so, the Board added a new dimension to the ongoing debate following decision G 1/92. The dispute giving rise to the decision… »
News and Events
Beril Yayla Sapan Featured as Speaker at TEİD Panel – From Silence to Justice: How Should Corporations Investigate Allegations?
We are pleased to share that our Partner and TEİD Board Member, Beril Yayla Sapan, shared her expertise and insights at the panel discussion titled "From Silence to Justice: How Should Corporations Investigate Allegations?". The event was organized by the Ethics and Reputation Society (TEİD) Internal Investigations Working Group on April 21st. Click here for details: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7455536332195549185
We are attending London International Disputes Week (LIDW) 2026
We are pleased to announce that our partners, Beril Yayla Sapan and Asena Aytuğ Keser, will be representing Gün + Partners at London International Disputes Week (LIDW) from June 1st to 5th. Our team is looking forward to connecting with colleagues from across the globe to discuss the evolving landscape of cross-border litigation and arbitration. If you are attending and would like to catch up or coordinate a meeting, please feel free to reach out to Beril or Asena.
We are Attending the 12th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference in Lisbon
We are pleased to announce our participation in the 12th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference, held in Lisbon from 3–5 June 2026. This year’s agenda addresses the life sciences industry's most pressing challenges, from AI data rights and global patent litigation to M&A strategies in uncertain markets. Our partner, Özge Atılgan Karakulak and managing associate Zeynep Çağla Üstün will be representing Gün + Partners. Özge Atılgan Karakulak, will serve as a conference…
40 Years + One Unforgettable Evening at Lincoln’s Inn
What a magnificent evening! We are still buzzing from the energy at our reception in the Great Hall of Lincoln’s Inn during INTA 2026. It was a true privilege to see this historic hall filled with such a vibrant international community of IP professionals. Hosting our guests within one of the four prestigious Inns of Court—an institution that has stood at the heart of the UK’s legal tradition and the training of barristers for centuries—provided a truly distinguished…
We Are the "Firm of the Year" by Managing IP EMEA Awards 2026
Gün + Partners was awarded the Türkiye Trademark Disputes Firm of the Year at the Managing IP European, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Awards 2026. The Managing IP Awards programme recognises remarkable intellectual property achievements and developments in the last year. The awards cover several IP practice areas and more than 50 jurisdictions.
We are Attending the 10th IBA Global Entrepreneurship Conference in Vienna
We are pleased to announce our participation at the 10th IBA Global Entrepreneurship Conference, which will be held in Vienna on 17-19 May 2026 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Görkem Bilgin, partner, will be representing Gün + Partners at the conference. If you are interested in exploring collaboration opportunities or simply reconnecting, please feel free to get in touch with him. We eagerly anticipate the prospect of meeting you…
Özge Atılgan Karakulak Will Be a Speaker at INTA 2026 Annual Meeting in London
We are pleased to announce that Özge Atılgan Karakulak, partner in our Life Sciences and Patents and Utility Models practices, will be a featured speaker at the INTA 2026 Annual Meeting in London. She will be a speaker in the panel session titled 'Leading the IP Charge: Strategic Skills for Non-Patent Professionals,' taking place on May 6, 2026. This session addresses a critical modern challenge: leading a high-performing IP team without a technical patent background.…
Our Anti-Counterfeiting Team Participated in the "Combating Intellectual Property Crimes" Training Organized by the Turkish National Police Force
We were pleased to take part in the “Training on Combating Intellectual Property Crimes” held in Istanbul on March 27, 2026, organized under the coordination of the Intellectual Property Crime Department of the Turkish National Police Force, representing our clients as a team. The event brought together 115 enforcement officers and IP unit managers, alongside representatives of nearly 180 brands. Although hosted in Istanbul, participation extended nationwide, with officers…
Gün + Partners Recognized in The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 Rankings
We are proud to announce that Gün + Partners has achieved Top Tier rankings in 3 out of the 9 practice areas in which we are ranked. This recognition reflects the strength and dedication of our team across a broad range of practices. We are also pleased to share that several of our practitioners have been individually recognized for their excellence: Hall of Fame: Uğur Aktekin (Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment) Leading Partners: Hande Hançar (Media and…
Proud to Announce Our Recognition in The Chambers Europe & Global 2026 Guides!
This year, our firm achieved rankings across 5 practice areas in Chambers Europe 2026 and 3 practice areas in Chambers Global 2026 including Corporate/M&A, Employment, TMT, IP, Litigation, and International and Cross-Border Capabilities. 6 of our lawyers recognized in the lawyer rankings: Uğur Aktekin: Band 1 (Intellectual Property) Beril Yayla Sapan: Spotlight Ranking (Employment) Özge Atılgan Karakulak: Band 3 (Intellectual Property) Görkem Bilgin: Band 3…
Beril Yayla Sapan is Attending the IBA Annual Litigation Forum in Madrid
We are pleased to announce our participation at the IBA Annual Litigation Forum - The World has lost its Compass: we need to talk about Litigators!, which will be held in Madrid on 15-17 Apr 2026 and extend an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Beril Yayla Sapan, partner, will be representing Gün + Partners at the conference. If you are interested in exploring collaboration opportunities or simply reconnecting, please feel free to get in touch with her. We…
Our Team Will be Attending the INTA 2026 Annual Meeting in London
Our team - Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, Direnç Bada, Güldeniz Doğan Alkan, Hande Hançar, Mutlu Yıldırım Köse, Özge Atılgan Karakulak, Uğur Aktekin, Zeynep Seda Alhas, and Pınar Arıkan are attending INTA’s 2026 Annual Meeting in London, England. As always, the Annual Meeting will be a great opportunity to engage with fellow IP professionals, discuss the evolving global IP landscape, and reconnect with friends and colleagues from around the world. If you’ll be there and would like…