Expert content, legal guides, industry news — everything you need to know to protect your brand.
This section gathers the questions we are asked most often about trademark registration, with short and direct answers. Whether registration is legally compulsory and why it has become necessary in practice, whether a trademark can be transferred and what happens to it on inheritance, whether a word mark can be filed without a logo, and whether you can register your own name or surname as a trademark are the ones that come up first.
We also explain what the registration certificate is used for, where it has to be produced and how to obtain it. You can use this category as a quick checklist before moving on to the longer guides; each answer links to the guide where the subject is set out in detail.
The answers here are written against the Industrial Property Law in force and TÜRKPATENT practice, and are updated when that practice changes. If your question is about cost, see Pricing; if it is about where to file, see Trademark Classes; and if your application was refused, see Refusals & Oppositions, where each subject is treated in depth. If your question is not on the list you can send it through the support form — questions that come up repeatedly are added to this category as new articles.
Whether a payment request about your trademark is official is shown by your file, not the request: TÜRKPATENT does not call to demand fees. Check in EPATS or e-Devlet whether the p...
After filing in Turkey, the mark itself cannot be changed and the list of goods and services can only be narrowed. Spelling and obvious clerical errors can be corrected, and the application can be divided or assigned, with the owner's name, address and attorney updated. Each route and its 2026 fee.
Yes; Turkey's Industrial Property Law expressly lists letters and numbers among the signs that can be trademarks. But a single letter, two letters, a common acronym or a number indicating capacity, size or model may not be distinctive on its own; strong results need original lettering, a device or a distinctive word.
A trademark application in Turkey can be withdrawn in whole or in part until it is registered (SMK Art. 28/5); official fees already paid are not refunded and the filing date is lost. We explain how to file the request, partial withdrawal and surrender after registration.
If color is not part of your distinctive identity, a logo can be registered in black and white; if color is how people recognize the brand, file in color. A black-and-white registration does not cover every color: under the 2014 EU common practice it is not "identical" to the colored version, but may be similar.
An English or other foreign word can be registered as a trademark in Turkey; the law draws no distinction by language. What matters is what the word means to the relevant Turkish consumer: a widely understood English word that describes or praises the goods is assessed like its Turkish equivalent and may be refused.
No — a change in a company's trade name does not automatically change its trademark registration, because the trade name and the trademark are separate assets held in separate registers. We explain four scenarios, why the register still needs updating, and the trademark risk that is often overlooked when choosing a new trade name.
Changing your logo does not bring down your existing registration — but your registration goes on protecting the old logo, while your new logo is unregistered. We explain the three change scenarios, what becomes of the registration with the old logo, the copyright layer and the right transition plan.
The short answer to the question: renewal is not the tool for changing a trademark. The representation of a registered trademark cannot be changed in the register; minor updates can be carried by the flexibility the law allows, while a significant change requires a new application. We explain the decision threshold and what becomes of the old registration.
Yes — there are four legal routes for letting someone else use your trademark while ownership stays with you: licensing, franchising, contract manufacturing and permitted use within a group. We explain which tool fits which goal, the rules they share and the price of turning a blind eye to unauthorised use.
A trademark registration certificate is the official proof of your right. We answer every question: what is written on it, when it is requested, and what to do if it is lost.
A trademark is an asset: it can be sold, licensed and inherited. We explain assignment and succession processes.
Can the same name be registered in a different sector, and can you turn your own surname into a trademark? We explain the rules and exceptions.
You can register your brand even without a logo. We explain what a word mark is and why it often provides broader protection.
Trademark registration is not a legal requirement — but in many situations it is practically unavoidable. We explain why.
Want to see our trademark guides first in Google Search?
If you couldn't find an answer in our blog posts, our trademark experts will be happy to provide personal consultation.
