# What Happens to a Trademark Registration If the Owner's Name Changes?

> A change of name does not invalidate a trademark; its number and priority are kept. What is needed is updating the name in the register — step-by-step process.

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- Last updated: 2026-10-23
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**A change in the trademark owner's name does not invalidate the registration.** When a company changes its trade name, its legal personality stays the same: the owner of the trademark has not changed, only its *name* has. The trademark number, representation, scope and priority date all live on unchanged. The only transaction required is **updating the owner's name in the TÜRKPATENT register** (TÜRKPATENT is Turkey's patent and trademark office), and that is a far simpler recordal than an assignment.

When a trademark owner changes its name, things go wrong less often in the recordal itself than in the choice of transaction. A change of trade name **is not an assignment**; the owner is the same, so no notarised agreement is needed. **No new application is needed either**, because a recordal on the existing file is enough.

If you are wondering whether a company's trade name and its trademark are the same thing anyway, that distinction is drawn in [Does a Company Name Change Affect a Trademark Registration?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/does-a-company-name-change-affect-a-trademark) This guide is for those who will actually carry out the transaction.

## What Stays the Same When the Owner's Name Changes?

A change of name touches none of the following:

- The same file continues under the same trademark number.
- The seniority derived from the filing date, the priority date, is preserved in full.
- The 10-year protection calendar is unaffected; the renewal date stays exactly where it is.
- The list of classes, and so the scope, remains as it was.
- Licence and pledge entries recorded in the register live on together with the file.

The only thing that changes is a single line in the register: the owner's name. That line matters more than people think.

## What Happens If the Trademark Register Is Not Updated?

The recordal is not tied to a mandatory deadline. The risk is not a penalty but **gridlock**. As long as the register shows the old name:

1. **Renewal runs into friction.** The name of the person requesting renewal does not match the name in the register; you end up dealing with a correction just as the window is closing.
2. **The chain of assignment breaks.** When you want to sell the trademark, the name in the agreement differs from the name in the register; the change of name must be recorded first and only then the assignment, so [a single transaction turns into two](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/how-long-does-a-trademark-assignment-take).
3. **Questions of identity arise in oppositions and lawsuits.** When you, as the opposing party, do not appear as the "owner of record", you lose time proving your identity before the merits are even reached.
4. **Notices fall into a void.** Notifications relating to the Office and to your trademark go to the old records; finding out about opposition deadlines only when it is already too late is the typical outcome of this scenario.

Once the change has been registered in the trade registry, update the trademark register the same week. A "trademark and patent records" line on the checklist of the accountant and legal advisers handling the change of name is the cheapest insurance against this oversight.

## Recording a Change of Name in the Trademark Register: Step by Step

### 1. Prepare the supporting document

Everything rests on the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette entry showing the change of name. For trademarks owned by individuals (a change of first name or surname), the basis is the civil registry records.

### 2. File the request through EPATS

After logging in via e-Devlet (Turkey's e-government portal), a request for a change in owner details is opened on EPATS; the type of change (name, legal form, address) is selected and the supporting document is uploaded. Because the request runs through the owner, it can cover all your relevant trademark files at once. Include **files still at the application stage** in the inventory as well.

### 3. Confirm the fee position

The official 2026 fee schedule contains no separate fee item for recording a change of name, legal form or address; if any amount is payable at the time of the request, EPATS will show it. Transfers resulting from a merger or demerger fall outside this scope; they are subject to the structural change item in the schedule (TRY 4,360 in 2026).

### 4. Verify that the recordal has been entered

After the transaction, open the register view. The new name should appear on every file. This check catches the half-finished records produced by the assumption "we filed the request, so it must be done".

## Has the Name Changed or the Owner? Choose the Right Transaction

Events that look alike have very different consequences in the register:

| Event | Has the owner changed? | Correct transaction | Supporting document |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Change of trade name | No | Recordal of change of name | Turkish Trade Registry Gazette |
| Change of legal form (Ltd→A.Ş., i.e. limited company to joint-stock company) | No — the legal personality continues | Recordal of change of legal form | Turkish Trade Registry Gazette |
| Merger / demerger | Yes — a new legal entity | Recordal of structural change (TRY 4,360) | Trade registry documents |
| Sale of the trademark | Yes | [Recordal of assignment](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/how-to-assign-a-trademark-in-turkey) (TRY 5,960) | Notarised agreement |
| Death of the owner | Yes — the heirs | [Recordal of transfer by inheritance](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/can-a-trademark-be-inherited) (TRY 5,550) | Certificate of inheritance |

In the first two rows the owner remains legally the same. That is why no notary, no agreement and no assignment fee is needed. In the last three rows the owner does change, and each works under its own regime. The most common mistake is treating a change of legal form or of name as an "assignment" and going through an unnecessary procedure; the reverse happens too, when a merger is treated as a simple name update.

## An Edge Case: When the Trade Name Is Part of the Trademark's Image

The recordal updates the owner's name; **it cannot touch the representation of the trademark**. If your logo shows the old trade name, for instance if the wording "Yılmaz Gıda San. Tic. Ltd. Şti." (a typical Turkish limited company name) is part of the image, recording the change of name does not solve the problem in the shop window. The representation in the register still carries the old name, while the look bearing the new name is unregistered. At this intersection the [logo change regime](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/logo-change-and-trademark-registration) comes into play: a new application for the new look. Embedding a trade name in a trademark's image turns every corporate change into a registration operation, so keep that in mind if you are designing a new logo.

## Three Example Scenarios

The scenarios below are fictional; they illustrate common situations rather than real files.

**Scenario 1: A change made six years earlier surfaces in the renewal window.** The company changed its trade name in 2020, and the trademark register was never updated. When the renewal window opens in 2026, the name of the person requesting renewal does not match the name in the register; the change of name has to be recorded first, and the renewal afterwards. Because the problem was spotted at the start of the window, the damage is limited to a few weeks of rushing around. Had it been left to the final week, the bill could have stretched as far as the late renewal fee.

**Scenario 2: Mistaking a change of legal form for an assignment.** A family business converting its limited company into a joint-stock company has a notary draw up an assignment agreement, reasoning that "the trademark must now pass to the A.Ş.". Yet in a change of legal form the legal personality continues unchanged; the only thing needed is a recordal of the change of legal form. The notary costs and the whole assignment set-up are unnecessary. Worse, the appearance of an "assignment from the company to itself" creates confusion in the register.

**Scenario 3: Mistaking a merger for a name update.** Two companies merge, and the absorbing company requests a simple recordal on the grounds that "our name has changed". Yet the trademarks of the absorbed company are passing over from a different legal entity; the correct transaction is a recordal of structural change based on trade registry documents. A file opened with the wrong request drags on for months through rounds of corrections.

## Where to Look Once the Gazette Entry Is Out

- List registered trademarks together with those still at the application stage, and have them all updated in a single request.
- The recordal in Turkey stops at the border. For Madrid registrations the owner details are updated with WIPO, while national registrations require action office by office; our [Madrid Protocol guide](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/international-trademark-registration-madrid-protocol) has the details.
- Update the party's name in licence, franchise and dealership agreements by an addendum. For licences recorded in the register, check the recorded details too.
- The owner details in marketplace brand registrations and in the customs recordal are renewed through their own separate processes.
- If you work with an attorney, confirm that the power of attorney relationship continues under the new name.

## Update the Register Line the Same Week

A change of name is not a crisis but a piece of register maintenance that should not be put off. The registration keeps its full force, but until that line in the register is updated, the force waits at the door in every transaction. There is no need to visit a notary as if this were an assignment, or to reset your seniority with a new application; the only case that calls for a different route is the exception where the name is embedded in the trademark's image.

### One Request for Every File

All we need is your new trade name and your trademark file numbers, sent via our [contact page](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/iletisim). From there we go through every register record, including applications and any foreign registrations, and make the updates in one round; if a renewal or assignment is coming up, we will build the timetable around it.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does a trademark registration become invalid when the company's name changes?

No. In a change of trade name the legal personality stays the same; the owner of the trademark has not changed, only its name has. The registration remains valid exactly as it is, with its number, representation, scope, priority date and renewal calendar, and licences and pledges recorded in the register live on with the file. The only thing that needs to be done is to update the owner's name in the register of TÜRKPATENT, Turkey's patent and trademark office.

### Do I need to file a new trademark application when the company name changes?

No, a change of name does not require a new application; that is the most expensive misunderstanding. A new application means a new date and a new examination and throws away the seniority of your existing registration. The change of name is recorded on the existing file with a request form and the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette information (Article 128(1) of the Implementing Regulation). It is not an assignment either, so no notarised agreement is needed.

### Is it mandatory to notify TÜRKPATENT of a change of name? Is there a deadline?

The law sets no deadline and no penalty is imposed for failing to record the change; the recordal should still be made, because the change reaches the register only on request (Article 128(1) of the Implementing Regulation). As long as the register shows the old name, name mismatches arise in renewal, assignment, opposition and court proceedings, and a correction is needed before every transaction. The right practice is to update the trademark register immediately after the change is registered in the trade registry.

### Is a fee payable to TÜRKPATENT for recording a change of name?

The official 2026 fee schedule has no separate fee item for recording a change of name, legal form or address, and the documents the Implementing Regulation lists for this recordal do not include proof of fee payment (Article 128). If any amount is payable when the request is created through EPATS, TÜRKPATENT's online filing system, the system will show it. Structural changes such as mergers and demergers are a separate item: TRY 4,360 under the 2026 schedule (item 02.01.07). A trademark agent's service fee is separate.

### Which documents are needed to record a change of name?

You need a request form together with the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette information or document showing the change, or a document certified by the competent authorities; a document in a foreign language must be accompanied by a sworn translation into Turkish (Article 128(1) of the Implementing Regulation). The request is made through EPATS, TÜRKPATENT's online filing system, after logging in via e-Devlet, Turkey's e-government portal. For trademarks owned by individuals, a change of first name or surname is based on the civil registry record.

### My limited company has converted into a joint-stock company; what should I do about the trademark?

Recording the change of legal form in the register is enough. When a limited company converts into a joint-stock company it retains its legal personality, and the trademark stays with the same owner; this is not an assignment, so no notarised agreement or assignment fee is needed. A change of legal form is recorded, like a change of name, on the basis of the Trade Registry Gazette (Article 128 of the Implementing Regulation). A merger or demerger is different: those transfers are subject to a structural change recordal.

### I got married and my surname changed; what should I do about the trademark registered in my own name?

Having your name updated in the register is enough; the trademark stays yours. A change of surname is not an assignment, because the owner is the same person. The request is made through EPATS, TÜRKPATENT's online filing system, and relies on the change in the civil registry records. A record that is not updated will later produce identity mismatches in renewal and assignment transactions; updating it before the renewal window opens saves you a last-minute correction.

### I have more than one trademark; do I need to apply separately for each of them?

No, you do not need a separate application for each trademark. The recordal of a change of name or legal form applies to all industrial property rights and applications registered in the owner's name (Article 128(2) of the Implementing Regulation), so registered trademarks, files still at the application stage and any patents and designs benefit from the same recordal. Even so, list your inventory and check after the transaction that the new name appears on every file.

### My logo contains my old trade name; is a recordal in the register enough?

No, the recordal is not enough; that is a separate problem. The recordal updates the owner's name but cannot touch the representation of the trademark, as correction requests that change the representation are not accepted (Article 21(2) of the Implementing Regulation). If the old trade name is part of the trademark's image, the look bearing the new name can only be protected through a new application for registration. This is where a change of name intersects with a change of logo.

### Is a change of address recorded in the same way?

Yes, likewise: an address change is also recorded on a request form through EPATS, TÜRKPATENT's online filing system, and the recordal applies to all rights and applications registered in the owner's name (Article 128(3) and (4) of the Implementing Regulation). If a new application or request states a different address, that address is entered in the register. The 2026 fee schedule has no separate fee item for this either. An up-to-date address matters for official notices; a notice that does not reach you can mean a missed deadline.

### Do my foreign registrations also need a name update?

Yes. The recordal in Turkey does not update registrations abroad. For international registrations under the Madrid Protocol, a change in the owner's details can be recorded with WIPO through a single request; for national registrations obtained country by country, a separate transaction is required at each office. The party name in licence, franchise and dealership agreements should also be updated by an addendum, and marketplace and customs records are renewed through their own processes.

## Related Resources

- [Trademark Registration](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/hizmetler/marka-tescil): Explains how a trademark application is handled before TÜRKPATENT, from the preliminary search and class selection to the registration certificate.
- [Legal Protection](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/hizmetler/hukuki-koruma): Explains attorney support for bulletin oppositions, appeals against refusals, counter-statements and trademark infringement cases.
- [Does a Company Name Change Affect a Trademark Registration?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/does-a-company-name-change-affect-a-trademark): No, a trademark registration does not change by itself: trade name and trademark are separate assets. Four scenarios, register updates and naming risks.
- [Trade Name, Business Name and Trademark: What Is the Difference?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trade-name-business-name-and-trademark-differences): Trade name vs trademark in Turkey: a trade name is your company's identity in the trade registry; a trademark protects products at TÜRKPATENT. Conflicts.
- [How to Assign a Trademark in Turkey: Step-by-Step Guide](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/how-to-assign-a-trademark-in-turkey): A trademark is assigned in Turkey by a notarised agreement and recordal with TÜRKPATENT. Step-by-step process, contract terms, partial assignment and 2026 fee.
- [Trademark Renewal in Turkey: What It Is and When to Renew](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/how-to-renew-a-trademark): A trademark is renewed every 10 years. The renewal window, six-month grace period, 2026 fees, partial renewal and the TÜRKPATENT renewal process step by step.
- [What Happens to Your Trademark Registration If Your Logo Changes?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/logo-change-and-trademark-registration): A logo change does not void your registration, but it protects the old logo and the new one is unprotected. Three scenarios, the old mark, copyright, transition.
- [Patentability Search vs. Freedom-to-Operate Analysis: What Is the Difference?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/patentability-search-vs-freedom-to-operate): Why are an FTO analysis and a patentability search separate? Differences in question, scope, country and status, free databases and your options after FTO.