Insights
Turkish Courts Invalidate Trademark for Similarity to Madran Mountain Spring Water
In Turkey, absolute grounds for refusal in trademark registration are regulated under Article 5 of the Industrial Property Code No 6769 (the IP Code). According to Article 5(1)(f) of the IP Code, signs that may mislead the public about matters such as the nature, quality or geographical origin of the goods or services are one of the absolute grounds for refusal, meaning that those signs shall not be registered as trademarks. Background In an opposition proceeding before the… »
Artificial Intelligence and Pharmaceutical Industry: The Transformation in the Technology and Patent System Shaping the Future
Artificial intelligence influences every aspect of our lives and creates revolutionary effects in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in many other sectors. From DeepMind's AlphaGo success to Tempus' personalized approaches to cancer treatment, AI-enabled innovations offer not only scientific achievements, but also wide-ranging advantages such as operational efficiency, cost reduction and risk reduction. However, this technological leap also raises critical questions about… »
Court of Cassation Renders Controversial Decision on Likelihood of Confusion in Dispute Over Pharma Marks
Background A Turkish company operating in the pharmaceutical sector, which owns the registered trademarks BATIKAR and BATISOL in Class 5, filed an infringement action against a pharmaceutical company selling antiseptic disinfectants under the trademark MIRADERM BATIMER. The plaintiff argued that the expression ‘batimer’ was similar to their BATIKAR and BATISOL trademarks, particularly due to the shared ‘bati’ element, and that there was a likelihood of confusion. Decisions In… »
Turkish Patent and Trademark Office’s 2024 Revisions:Updates to the Trademark Classification System
At the end of 2024, Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (“the Office”) made a significant move by publishing a revised communiqué on the classification of goods and services for trademark registration applications. The changes, which came into effect following their publication in the Official Gazette on 20 December 2024, align the Turkish classification system with the latest updates made to the Nice Classification. These revisions aim to make the trademark application… »
Update on the Well-known Trademark Registry Debate in Türkiye
The well-known trademark registry of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (“the Office”) became a discussion topic after the Turkish Court of Cassation decided in 2020 that the Office has no authority to create and maintain a registry for well-known trademarks (see (Turkey well-known trademark registry is again open for debate) First-instance intellectual property courts and regional courts of appeals adopted this decision immediately and changed their practice, while the… »
How Automotive Associations and Law Firms Can Combat Counterfeit Auto Parts Together
Auto Spare Parts and Distribution Ecosystem The automotive industry relies on highly technical products that do not reach end users directly. Instead, these products are distributed through dealers, service centres, mechanics, and authorised resellers, who play a critical role in ensuring that genuine products reach the end user. For instance, essential annual maintenance activities such as spare part replacement, oil refilling, and system updates are carried out by these… »
Trademark Protection for Work Titles: Challenges and Insights
Article 83 of Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works stipulates that the names of works can be protected independently of the works themselves under the provisions on unfair competition. Our assessment of this protection is discussed in our article, 'Protection of Work Titles'1. An important aspect of work title protection is their registration as trademarks. In practice, it is common for elements of cinematographic works, such as characters and locations, as well as… »
Insights from ICANN 81 and Domain Name Disputes in Türkiye
The 81st ICANN meeting (ICANN 81) was held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in November 2024, offering a significant platform for global discussions on internet governance, domain names, and online policy. The ICANN 81 meeting underscored the importance of evolving global internet governance, particularly through advancements in the New gTLD Program and initiatives like the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS). While these developments highlight strides toward inclusivity and… »
Online Enforcement in Türkiye: Addressing IP Infringements in the Digital Era
In cases of online infringement of industrial property rights, various actions can be pursued, including civil actions, criminal actions, preliminary injunctions, and notice-and-takedown procedures. Possible ways of enforcement against online infringement is shown below: The legal basis of trademark infringement is regulated under Articles 7 and 29 of the Intellectual Property Code (IP Code). Article 29 of the IP Code states that imitating a trademark or using a mark that is… »
Developments in the Field of Medical Devices
On 26 May 2023, significant changes were made to the Medical Device Promotion Regulation. These changes introduced several new procedures to the medical device sector. Rather than being regulated under separate legislation, these procedures were incorporated into the existing Medical Device Promotion Regulation. According to the updated regulation, additional obligations have been introduced for authorised sales centres for medical devices. These include providing technical… »
Advertisement Board’s Approach to Environmental Claims
The Advertisement Board (“Board”) reviewed numerous advertisements containing claims related to the environment in accordance with the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices (“Regulation”), as well as the Guideline on Advertisements Containing Environmental Claims. The Board’s evaluation provided practical guidance for interpretation of environmental claims’ compliance to law. The Board examined the environmental claims in a cosmetic company’s… »
Corporate Reporting Obligations Regarding Transactions Affecting Foreign Exchange Position
In light of the amendments made in the Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Monitoring of Transactions Affecting Foreign Exchange Positions by the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (“Regulation”)on 3 May 2025, the criteria for companies subject to reporting obligations have been revised along with the reporting periods. This development has created a need to re-evaluate the reporting obligation, its scope and other practical issues relating to the… »
News and Events
We Attended the 9th ICC European Conference on International Arbitration in Paris
We were pleased to announce our participation at the 9th ICC European Conference on International Arbitration, which was held in Paris on 7-9 Apr 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın and Beril Yayla Sapan, partners, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Attended the 26th Annual IBA Arbitration Day in London
We were pleased to announce our participation at the 26th Annual IBA Arbitration Day, which was held in London on 3-4 Apr 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, partner, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Attended the Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2025 in Marrakech
We were pleased to announce our participation at the Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2025, which was held in Marrakech on 2-4 Apr 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Beril Yayla Sapan, partner, and Asena Aytuğ Keser, managing associate, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Attended the 8th IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference in Geneva
We were pleased to announce our participation at the 8th IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference, which was held in Geneva on 13-14 Mar 2025, and extended an invitation for a potential meeting during the event. Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş, partner, represented Gün + Partners at the conference.
We Will Attend the 11th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference in Boston
The 11th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference will take place on 11 - 13 June 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Özge Atılgan Karakulak, partner in our Life Sciences practice and Advisory Board Member of the IBA Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Committee, will be the co-chair of the conference. Topics will include: Trends in gene therapy and personalized medicine Navigating the Intersection of Patent Strategies and Antitrust Regulations in the…
We Are Attending the IBA Annual Litigation Forum: The future of litigation in Singapore
We are pleased to share that we will be participating in the IBA Annual Litigation Forum: The Future of Litigation, taking place in Singapore from April 9-11, 2025. We would like to extend an invitation to meet during the event. Mehmet Gün, the Founder and Senior Partner of Gün + Partners, as well as the Founder and President of the Better Justice Association and Founding President and Chairman of the High Advisory Board of the Istanbul Arbitration Association (ISTA) will…
Gün + Partners Ranked in The Legal 500 2025
We are proud to have 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: 2 of our lawyers are listed in the 'Hall of Fame', 3 are recognized as 'Leading Individuals', 2 are ranked among the 'Next Generation Partners', and 5 are named 'Leading Associates'. The Legal 500 is one of the most prestigious…
Beste Turan Kurtoğlu Spoke at the Patent Report LIVE #9 Event
The 10 patent topics that stood out in patent law in 2024 were discussed at the PatentEffect Patent Report LIVE #9 event held on March 26. Our senior associate Beste Turan Kurtoğlu from the Patent and Utility Models team evaluated the impact of the CJEU's long-arm jurisdiction interpretation on the patent world, the Italian Supreme Court's assessment of the Bolar Exception, and the importance of evidence collection in patent disputes.
Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş and Yalçın Umut Talay spoke at the ARTED Webinar on Artificial Intelligence in the Medical Device Industry
Our partner Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş and our managing associate Yalçın Umut Talay spoke at the "Artificial Intelligence in the Medical Device Industry Webinar" organized by ARTED. The webinar explored the rising role of artificial intelligence technologies in the medical device sector and the impact of developments in this field on the industry.
We Are Attending the CITMA Spring Conference
We are pleased to announce our participation at the CITMA Spring Conference, which will be held in London on 20-21 Mar 2025. Uğur Aktekin, partner, and Baran Güney, managing associate, 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 them.
We Attended the CITMA Spring Conference: Navigating the Digital Frontier Event
Uğur Aktekin and İrem Girenes Yücesoy participated in the CITMA Spring Conference: Navigating the Digital Frontier event held in London, where approximately 200 speakers and delegates from 25 countries participated in various sessions.
Our Lawyers Met with ELSA Ankara Members
As part of the "Lawyers @ Work" event, we hosted ELSA (European Law Students Association) Ankara member law students in our office. Our lawyers shared their working in a full service and institutional law firm experience with ELSA Ankara members and answered the questions of the participants about our firm.