How To Register A Trademark In Turkey – All You Need To Know

Turkey is one of the most popular commercial destinations among foreigners, as the Turkish economy is based on tourism and trade and has made great progress in many areas.

Located in one of the most sensitive and strategic regions in the world, Turkey is the crossroads between South-West Asia and Europe.

Known as one of the most influential countries in global trade, all these reasons have made the trademark registration in Turkey so popular.

If you already have a business or plan to start a business in Turkey, then stay with us to learn more about how to register a trademark in Turkey and its benefits.

What are the benefits of registering a trademark in Turkey?

By registering a company or moving a company to Turkey and registering a brand in this country, investors can achieve a world of opportunities to promote their products.

In general, due to the fact that trade in Turkey is subject to international trade rules, many manufacturers and investors in this country have the opportunity to enter into the advanced global market by entering the unique Turkish market.

On the other hand, Turkey’s general economic policies are aimed at supporting producers and exporters, so the Turkish government abolished the tax on income from exports and products, which attracted the attention of large investors around the world.

And in this way the Turkish government supports investors to start investing in this country.

Another important point is that the Turkish market is a large and competitive market, and in order to be known in such a market, it is not enough to register a company and business, your business must be known.

As mentioned, competition is high in Turkey and many companies are active in this country, and the stronger the competition, the greater the need for competitive tools such as branding.

The most important advantage of trademark registration in Turkey is that it prevents the misuse and supply of similar goods by third parties under identical or misleading trademarks.

So consumers will be able to distinguish products from each other, and the client would be relieved to see reliable brands on the products.

Trademark registration in Turkey

There are two main ways to register a trademark in Turkey:

• The first way: register a trademark at the patent office in Turkey.
• The second way: register an international trademark according to the Madrid agreement.

The Turkish Industrial Property Organization legally protects the trademark of natural and legal persons residing in Turkey and registered in the territory of Turkey or having rights under the Paris Agreement, and does not allow copies of the trademark of such persons under any circumstances.

1. Trademark registration by submitting a direct application to the Turkish Patent Office

This method is suitable for people who have registered a company in Turkey and started a business in this country.

By registering their trademarks in the Turkish legal system, these personels can later register their trademarks globally.

According to the Turkish government law, all natural and legal persons doing business in Turkey can register a trademark in Turkey in accordance with the commercial laws of this country, as the trademark is protected within this country.

Turkish trademark law applies to both Turkish citizens and foreigners, this means that people with non-Turkish nationality who work in Turkey according to the laws of residence in Turkey can also apply for the trademark registration of their business.

This requires an application to the patent office in Turkey, where the full details of the trademark are sent along with the image of the trademark.

After submitting the application, the experts of the Turkish Patent Office will review the application to check the rules, regulations, similarities and trademark requirements.

If the trademark registration application complies with the rules and follows the principles of brand design, the trademark will be announced in the official monthly bulletin of the Turkish brand.

The duration of the announcement will be 3 months in order to give real and legal claimants the opportunity to protest, after which the brand will be announced in official newspapers.

If the application for registration of a trademark in Turkey at any of these stages is rejected for any reason, the employer can object to the result and request a review.

If after these steps no problem is found about the trademark, the applicant must provide the necessary documents for the final registration of the trademark in Turkey.

In the end, the trademark will be registered in the Turkish trademark registration system.

After registering in the Turkish business system, the trademark owner can register his trademark internationally at any time.

The validity period of the trademark in Turkey is 10 years and can be extended thereafter.

However note that if it is not used for no reason within the first five years of registration of the trademark, the right to use the trademark will be revoked.

It is worth noting that the best way for those who currently have a trademark is to register the trademark internationally and globally because in this case, your trademark will be easily valid not only in Turkey but also in 85 other countries that were involved in the Madrid agreement, which we will explain in the next section.

2. Trademark registration through the Madrid system

The use of the Madrid system is possible by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to 85 countries, including Turkey.

In this way, business owners in countries that are members of the Madrid agreement can register their trademarks by paying legal fees.

International trademark registration means that you can register your trademark in the member countries of the Madrid agreement by paying the legal and accredited fees in each individual country.

Applicants who have Turkish residency and have registered a company in Turkey can register their brand and use it internationally.

International brand registration is not only cheaper and easier but also more effective, because it will provide your brand support in many countries.

As mentioned, the Madrid system currently has 85 members, and registration in these 85 countries will be possible through IP offices, which are active in each of these member countries.

Frequently asked questions

❓ What documents are required to register a trademark in Turkey?

The main documents required are the applicant’s identity documents such as passport, high-quality trademark sample, list of goods and services, company and trademark registration documents if any, and official application fee payment documents.

❓ What is the cost of registering a trademark in Turkey?

The cost of trademark registration in Turkey varies according to the type of goods or services, the cost of multiple advertisements, the cost of document and trademark review, and the cost of a lawyer should also be taken into account.

❓ Should the brand name be translated into Turkish to register in Turkey?

Due to the use of the Latin alphabet for writing in Turkish, trademarks expressed in the Latin alphabet are registered in the same way in the source language.

Therefore, there is no need to translate into Turkish, if the brand name does not use the Latin alphabet in the presented language, the name should be written in Latin letters.

❓ What is the validity of the registered trademark in Turkey?

Registered trademarks in Turkey have a validity of up to 10 years, after which their validity can be extended.