Expert content, legal guides, industry news — everything you need to know to protect your brand.
The Webx blog explains trademark and intellectual property procedures the way they actually work in practice. The articles here cover every stage in the life of a trademark: pre-filing similarity research, choosing the right class, examination by TÜRKPATENT, opposition to publication and the routes available against a refusal, the use requirement after registration, renewal, assignment and licensing. Everything is written against Industrial Property Law No. 6769 and TÜRKPATENT's current practice, and articles are updated when the legislation or the office's practice changes.
The posts are grouped so you can find what you need quickly. Start with Guides to learn the process end to end, use Trademark Classes to decide where to file, turn to Refusals & Oppositions if your application was rejected or someone opposed your mark, read Legal for infringement and litigation, and see International for protection abroad. Questions specific to your sector or company structure live under By Industry and For Businesses, while budgeting is covered in Pricing.
These articles are general information and do not replace advice on your own file. If you want to know which route fits your brand, start with a free preliminary search.
A trademark that starts being used as the common name of a product can be revoked by TÜRKPATENT under SMK Art. 26/1-b if its owner failed to take the necessary steps. We explain th...
According to WIPO's list dated July 8, 2026, the Madrid Union has 117 contracting parties, including regional organizations such as the European Union and OAPI. A region-by-region table of members, the markets that remain outside the system, and the official fees for filing from Turkey.
Under SMK Art. 151, a trademark owner's loss consists of actual loss and lost profits; lost profits are calculated by one of three methods: probable income, the infringer's net profit or a licence fee. We compare the three methods with worked figures.
A logo created with AI can be registered as a trademark as long as it is distinctive and can be represented in the register; Turkish law does not look at how the sign was produced. The real risks are similarity to existing logos, unclear copyright and the terms of the tool you use.
A trademark cease-and-desist letter formally tells an infringer to stop the use; in Turkey it is not a precondition for a lawsuit, but it documents knowledge and often ends the dispute early. We cover content, a fill-in template, delivery channels, deadlines and risks.
Copyright protects an original work and arises automatically the moment the work is created; a trademark protects the sign that shows where goods and services come from and arises on registration. We compare duration, scope, transfer and overlaps such as logos in a 10-point table.
Before buying a trademark in Turkey, confirm that the registered owner is the seller and check the term, scope, use, licenses, pledges and attachments, and any pending oppositions or court actions. An assignment is valid only with a notarized contract and must be recorded in the register. A 20-point checklist.
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.
A descriptive or non-distinctive sign can be registered in Turkey if, before the filing date, intensive use made consumers see it as a particular business's trademark (SMK Article 5(2)). A claim of acquired distinctiveness succeeds only with independent, measurable evidence relating to Turkey.
No, as a rule they are not: application and additional class fees paid to TÜRKPATENT are not returned after a refusal (SMK Art. 161/4), while the registration fee is never charged. We explain the narrow exceptions in the Regulation, the position of attorney fees and the terms of a refund guarantee.
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.
A trademark should be registered as soon as the name is final and has passed a preliminary search, before it is shared outside the business and before money is spent on it. In Turkey priority is fixed by the moment of filing; trade fairs, exports and investor meetings mark the latest point to file.
A bad-faith trademark filing is one made to block the true owner, sell the mark back or exploit its reputation. In Turkey you can oppose it within two months of publication; once registered, it can be invalidated in court, and the acquiescence rule does not protect it.
A partial refusal means TÜRKPATENT refuses the application for only some of the goods and services it covers; the rest continues. You can appeal within two months, divide the application to separate the accepted part, or simply continue with the remaining scope.
Foreign companies protect a trademark in Turkey either by filing a national application with TÜRKPATENT or by designating Turkey under the Madrid Protocol. An applicant resident abroad can act before the Office only through a registered Turkish trademark attorney; the two routes, 2026 fees and key risks explained.
An international trademark search checks whether an identical or similar mark exists on the registers of your target markets. WIPO Global Brand Database and TMview provide a broad first screening; for a definitive picture, you need the target country's own database and a local assessment.
A deficiency notice starts the two-month period TÜRKPATENT gives you to remedy a gap found in the formal examination. Missing identity details, representation, list or application fee move the filing date to the moment the gap is fixed; if the deadline passes, the application is removed.
The Official Trademark Bulletin is the official publication in which TÜRKPATENT announces trademark applications and register entries. The date an application is published in the Bulletin starts the two-month opposition period. We explain what is published and how to read an entry using INID codes.
The costliest trademark registration mistakes are made in the decisions taken before filing (name, logo, owner, list) and in the deadlines after filing (notifications, oppositions, the registration fee, use, renewal). The warning signs, consequences and fixes for 12 mistakes in one guide.
Most trademark search mistakes come from searching too little: checking only the exact spelling and only your own class, misreading pending applications and expired records, and overlooking logos and unregistered rights. We walk through ten mistakes, why they happen, what they cost and how to do it right.
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