Insights
Dilution of Well-known Mark and Applicant’s Bad Faith: PTO Issues Exemplary Decision
The Trademarks Department granted broader protection to the well-known SINGER mark, refusing an application including the term ‘Singer’ in Class 1 The decision examined the conditions for dilution of a well-known mark under Article 6/5 of the IP Code The well-known status of the SINGER mark, as well as the word and graphic elements in the application, played a role in deciding on the applicant’s bad faith The Trademarks Department has decided that the application for… »
COVID-19’s Impacts on Criminal Raids and Customs Suspensions Based on Trademark Infringement
1. Are there specific measures taken at the courthouses due to COVID-19? YES. The courthouses across the country are open and active – yet; As per the decisions of the Directorate of Administrative Affairs of the Presidency, the public employees – which covers judges, prosecutors and further courthouse personnel - who are pregnant, taking breastfeeding leave, disabled, over 60 years old (except managers), or those having a chronic disease, will be deemed on administrative… »
The Benefits of Filing a Criminal Case Based on Trademark Infringement for Counterfeit Products Subjected to the Crime of Smuggling
Turkey’s geographical location and dynamic population make Turkey an important market for smuggled products and one of the major transit countries. In its most basic definition, a smuggled product corresponds to the products entering the country without permission or with underreporting/false declaration. Products subject to the crime of smuggling comprise a wide range of sectors from pharmaceuticals to tobacco and alcohol products, from textiles to phones and car components.… »
An In-depth Analysis of Inventorship of AI and Turkey’s Position
In recent legal debates, the patentability of AI-generated inventions has been contentious. Historically, only humans have been considered inventors, anchored in notions of personhood and intellect. Yet, in a bold move, South Africa and Australia’s Federal Court recognized AI, specifically DABUS, as a potential inventor in 2021, defying conventional views. Proponents argue that this accommodates modern innovation trends, while sceptics raise concerns about ownership rights… »
Türkiye's Update: Key Changes in Named Patient Program
Pharmaceuticals not authorized in Turkey or authorized pharmaceuticals not available in the market, shall be procured from abroad as per a special authorization (named patient program) in cases where patients require such pharmaceuticals. While this exceptional import regime for pharmaceuticals was until recently regulated by the Medicines and Medical Devices Agency ("Agency") through guideline, the Regulation on Supply of Pharmaceuticals from Abroad ("Regulation") was… »
New Electric Vehicle Import Regulations in Turkey
The Ministry of Commerce, aligning with the European Union and the Free Trade Agreement frameworks, has introduced some regulations for importing electric vehicles. On November 29, 2023, the Communiqué on the Import of Some Electric Vehicles (the “Communiqué”) was published on the Official Gazette. The Communiqué serves the purpose of regulating the import of electric vehicles belonging to non-European Union member states and Free Trade Agreement non-signatory states… »
Decision on the Pricing of Drugs Has Been Amended
On 23 July 2023, the Presidential Decree numbered 6932 on the Amendment of the Decision on Pricing of Medicinal Products for Human Use ("Decision") was published in the Official Gazette numbered 32257. With the provisional articles added to the Decision: It has been arranged that the euro value in Turkish Lira to be used in the pricing of medicinal products for human use was increased by 30.5% to 14.0387 TRY in July 2023. While applying this increase, it is stated that the… »
Court of Cassation Examines Impact of Bankruptcy on Collection of Employee Receivables
In practice, bankruptcy of a defendant employer during court proceedings related to employee receivables may be confusing for both the parties of a dispute and the courts handling the proceedings. The Court of Cassation recently examined a case where the defendant employer became bankrupt during court proceedings initiated for employment receivables in the decision dated 8 February 2022. (1) Definition of urgent matters According to article 194 of the Enforcement and… »
A Practical Overview of Disclosure of Trade Secret as a Criminal Offense
Trade secrets bear critical value for companies to stand out and become distinct from their competitors in the competitive market conditions. Indeed, companies are often exposed to significant risks arising from the disclosure of trade secrets due to misconduct of certain individuals having access to these secrets. Therefore, confidentiality of these secrets, which bear commercial value and provide a competitive advantage, is almost crucial for companies to survive. In this… »
Turkish Constitutional Court Annuls Advertisement Board’s Power to Block Access to Websites
Turkish Constitutional Court (“Court”) annulled the paragraph 12 of Article 77 of the Consumer Protection Law, which granted the Advertisement 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 numbered… »
Regulatory Update in Turkey: Prolonged Exclusion of Specific Losses in Capital and Equity Assessments
The Communiqué on the Procedures and Principles Regarding Implementation of Article 376 of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 ("Implementation Communiqué") was amended on December 26, 2020, and it was regulated that certain loss items will not be considered in the calculations made in terms of capital loss or negative equity until January 1, 2023. Although the Ministry of Trade indicated in its statements on various occasions that this exception was introduced as a… »
Cyber Insurance and Insuring NFTs
With the frequent occurrence of cyber-attacks, having insurance coverage against these attacks has become increasingly crucial, and many insurance companies have started to provide cybersecurity insurance services. Like cryptocurrencies, NFTs which are digital assets with a specific value, are based on blockchain technology and stored in the blockchain. The blockchain is a database containing records that, once added, are almost impossible to change and is a digital ledger… »