Insights
Work Bearing The Characteristics of Its Author - “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım”
The decision of the 11th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation dated 24.05.2022 and numbered 2020/8509 E. 2022/3996 K. has been enlightening, both in terms of the examination of the distinctive signs of the work and the works bearing the characteristics of the author, and in terms of the amendments made to the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works, especially regarding cinematographic works. Following the publication of the previous version of our article, the 16th Civil… »
Recommendations from the Personal Data Protection Authority on the Protection of Personal Data in the Field of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, as one of the fastest-developing and most widely debated fields today, provide significant benefits to individuals and society while also posing various risks in terms of personal data protection. Recently, the widely discussed DeepSeek has been subjected to review by the European Commission and relevant data protection authorities. The Personal Data Protection Authority (“Authority”) has issued the following recommendations for… »
Matters to be Considered in Standard Contracts to be Used in the Transfer of Personal Data Abroad
With the amendment made to Article 9 of the Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (“Law”), titled “Transfer of personal data abroad”, standard contracts have been introduced as one of the appropriate safeguards that data controllers and data processors may rely on for the transfer of personal data abroad. With the enactment of the law amendment on June 1, 2024 with a three-month transition period for cross-border data transfers, and the publication of the Regulation on the… »
Changes to Minimum Wage, Severance Payments and Administrative Fines in 2025
At the beginning of each year, the minimum wage, severance payments and administrative fines prescribed by the Labour Act are revised. This article provides an overview of the 2025 changes, which came into effect on 1 January 2025. Minimum wage In 2024 the monthly minimum wage rate was 20,002.50 Turkish liras (gross). As of 1 January 2025, this has increased to 26,005.50 Turkish liras (gross). The new rate applies from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025. The minimum wage… »
SNICKERS v PEANUT & CARAMEL: an Appetising Decision
The IP Court found that there was a likelihood of confusion between a figurative mark containing the words ‘Ankara çikolata peanut & caramel’ and earlier SNICKERS marks The Regional Court of Appeals agreed, and the Court of Cassation dismissed the appeal The well-known status of the opponent’s marks in the food sector enhanced the likelihood of confusion between the marks A recent IP Court decision has highlighted the impact of conceptual similarity and well-known… »
Domain Name Disputes and Online Enforcement in Türkiye
In a follow-up to their post on the Class 46 blog about the 81st ICANN meeting, Mutlu Yıldırım Köse and Baran Güney explore domain name disputes and online enforcement in Türkiye. The Role of TRABIS TRABIS (the .tr Network Information System), established by the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), became operational on 14 September 2022 and undertook the management of .tr domain names. Upon the introduction of TRABIS, the first-come… »
Guidelines on Cross-Border Transfer of Personal Data Published
The long-awaited Guidelines on Cross-Border Transfer of Personal Data (“Guidelines”), prepared to serve as a guiding document regarding the cross-border data transfers under the Personal Data Protection Law (“Law”), was published on the website of the Personal Data Protection Authority (“DPA”) on January 2, 2025. With the amendments made in the Law effective as of June 1, 2024, along with a three-month transition period, and the publication of the Regulation on the Procedures… »
Close Ties Between Competiton And Data Privacy Raises Competiton Concerns
The intersection between competition and data privacy has emerged in recent years. Questions have arisen globally about whether processing of consumers’ (personal) data constitute a competition issue, and, how authorities and capabilities between the two approaches can be managed and cooperate. Meta In the Origin of Investigations On December 5, 2024, the investigation into Meta Platforms, Inc. (“Meta”) in Turkiye has been concluded following the acceptance of the… »
Patent and Trademark Office Almost Loses Authority to Revoke Trademarks – Before It Even Gets a Chance to Use It
Within the context of the entry into force of Article 26 of the Industrial Property Code, there have been heated discussions as to whether the administrative revocation of trademarks is constitutional An IP court applied to the Constitutional Court to annul the office’s authority to revoke trademarks before the office was able to use such authority The Constitutional Court rejected the application due to the court's lack of jurisdiction and did not examine the… »
Article 10: a Hidden Gem of the Turkish Industrial Property Code
Article 10 grants trademark owners the right to request the transfer of a trademark in case of unfair registration in the name of a commercial agent and/or representative The provision offers an underestimated and rarely applied tool for genuine trademark owners A recent Court of Cassation decision involving the marks HOLLIS and OCEANIC highlights the significance of this provision Relevant rule of law Article 10 of the Industrial Property Code (“the IP Code”) reads as… »
AI Regulations In Türkiye: Developments And Implications
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the rapidly advancing technologies that is increasingly being used in practice. AI, which has found widespread application in both the public and private sectors, has become a major agenda item in Turkiye as well. The development and widespread adoption of these applications offer opportunities for increased efficiency in various sectors. However, unlike the regulations established in the European Union, Turkiye currently does not have… »
Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Digitalization: What Awaits the Healthcare Sectors in the 12th Development Plan and the 2025 Presidential Annual Program?
The 12th Development Plan 2024–2028 (“Development Plan”) and the 2025 Presidential Annual Program (“Program”) set the development goals and strategic policies for various sectors in Türkiye. In line with the Development Plan and Program, the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors are among those that emphasize key goals to increase Türkiye’s sustainability in the healthcare field, enhance domestic production capacity, and reduce dependency on imports. Overall, the aim is… »
News and Events
Webinar: World IP Day - Women and IP: Women Behind Life Changing Innovations - An Interview with Prof. Rana Sanyal
Gün + Partners celebrated the World IP Day with webinars. Enjoy the fireside chat between Selin Sinem Erciyas and our guest Prof. Rana Sanyal. This webinar concentrates on women behind life changing innovations, and they are discussing on below topics. How Rana, as a woman entrepreneuse, has used IP as an innovative tool while building her own career. How young entrepreneurs shall benefit from IP, in particular patents and utility models, while starting up their…
Özge Atılgan Karakulak Listed in Top 250 Women in IP 2023
Congratulations to Özge Atılgan Karakulak to be recognised as Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP 2023 edition. This special publication recognises some of the senior female IP practitioners in private practice who have performed exceptionally for their clients and firms in the past year.
We Attended INTA's 2023 Annual Meeting Live+
Our firm was represented by our partners Barış Kalaycı, Güldeniz Doğan Alkan, Mutlu Yıldırım Köse, Uğur Aktekin, Zeynep Seda Alhas and Director Pınar Arıkan at the INTA's 2023 Annual Meeting Live+ in Singapore.
We Attended London International Disputes Week
Our firm was represented by our partner Beril Yayla Sapan and managing associate Asena Aytuğ Keser at the London International Disputes Week 2023.
We Are Registered for INTA's 2022 Annual Meeting Live+ (1)
Our firm will be represented by our partners Barış Kalaycı, Hande Hançar, Uğur Aktekin, Zeynep Seda Alhas and Director Pınar Arıkan at the INTA's 2022 Annual Meeting Live+ in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. For all details of the conference program please click here.
The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 Results Announced
We are delighted to have been recognized as one of the leading domestic firms of Turkey by The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 and to have the “Top Tier” rankings in 3 out of 9 practice areas we are ranked. We are proud that our 3 lawyers are listed in the elite "Leading lawyers" group, 4 lawyers are listed in the "Next generation lawyers" group, and 2 lawyers are listed in the "Rising stars"…
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 Results Announced
We are delighted to have been named as one of the major domestic firms of Turkey by The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 and to have the “Top Tier” rankings in 3 out of 9 practice areas we are ranked. We are proud that our 3 lawyers are recognized as "Leading Individual", 2 lawyers as "Partners: Next Generation lawyers" and 3 lawyers as “Associates: Rising Stars lawyers” in their practice areas. https://www.legal500.com/firms/10998-gun-partners/11375-istanbul-turkey/
We Have Co-Hosted INTA Pre–Annual Meeting Reception
We have hosted INTA Pre–Annual Meeting in Istanbul on April 03, 2023. Hande Hançar made the opening speech and informed the attendees about the INTA and its 2023 Annual Meeting Live+ in Singapore and our guest speaker Hande Yaşargil made the ''Diversity and Inclusion: For a Better Workplace and Future'' presentation.
We Have Been Selected as the “Firm of the Year” in Turkey
We are honoured our firm has been awarded as "Firm of the Year - Turkey” for the for the sixth year in a row by Who’s Who Legal. The winners were selected on a range of factors, including feedback received from clients and peers in the research process, breadth and depth of practice area and geographical capability and the number and proportion of individuals selected as WWL Thought Leaders. The award ceremony attended by more than 200 guests from more than 40 practice…
Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş Spoke on Screen of the Future Podcast
Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş, partner in our Data Protection and Privacy practice spoke on ‘’Protection of Our Personal Data’’ on the fifteenth episode of the Screen of the Future Podcasts. You can click to listen (in Turkish): https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TsXFBN9wKfwRA5yZKW9nh The Screen of the Future Project which carried out in partnership with Netflix, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Turkish National Committee and Habitat Association aims to spread the concepts…
We Hosted Kadir Has University Law Society Member Students in Our Office
We hosted Kadir Has University Law Society member students in our office. At the event where our lawyers came together with university students; Dilan Sıla Kayalıca, made a presentation about our firm and services.
Gün + Partners Top Ranked by WTR 1000 2023
We have been named as the top tier firm and our 9 practitioners are recognized as the leading individuals in the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals 2023. The resource identifies the leading trademark practitioners and firms from around the globe, offering the definitive ‘go-to’ guide for those seeking legal trademark expertise. https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/rankings/wtr-1000/country/turkey World Trademark Review writes: Hub…