Skip to content
Casework IP

ServicesTrademark registration and portfolio

Trademark registration and portfolio

We file and maintain the Turkish registrations that customs, the prosecutor and the marketplaces require before they will act.

The problem

Customs acts only on a right that is valid in Türkiye under Article 57 of the Customs Law, and criminal prosecution under Article 30 of Law No. 6769 needs a mark registered here. An EU mark or an international registration without a Türkiye designation gives officers and prosecutors nothing to act on. A third party who files your name or logo with TÜRKPATENT first blocks your customs application until that registration is cancelled.

What we do

  1. 01

    Filings

    File national applications with TÜRKPATENT and designate Türkiye in your Madrid registration.

  2. 02

    Watch and oppositions

    Watch the Official Trademark Bulletin and oppose copycat filings within the two-month period.

  3. 03

    Non-use and invalidation

    Clear unused and bad-faith marks registered by others, before TÜRKPATENT or the IP court.

  4. 04

    A customs-ready portfolio

    Keep the right classes, the right owner and certified copies ready for customs and the platforms.

How it works

  1. Day 0

    Filing

    We file a national application with TÜRKPATENT in the classes your enforcement needs, usually 3, 9, 14, 18 and 25 for a fashion brand, or designate Türkiye in your Madrid registration. Paris Convention priority runs for 6 months from your home filing.

  2. Typically months 1–4

    Examination

    TÜRKPATENT checks formalities and absolute grounds, including earlier identical marks. An office action must be answered within 2 months. Applications that pass are published in the Official Trademark Bulletin.

  3. 2 months from publication

    Opposition period

    Third parties have 2 months from publication to oppose under Article 18, and the period cannot be extended. Our watch service catches copycat filings against your marks at the same stage. An opposition at this stage costs far less than an invalidation action after registration.

  4. Typically months 6–10

    Registration

    With no office action or opposition, registration usually follows 6 to 10 months after filing, once the registration fee is paid. Protection runs for 10 years from the filing date and is renewable. We add the certificate to your customs application as soon as it issues.

  5. Up to 18 months (Madrid)

    Madrid designation

    For a Madrid designation, TÜRKPATENT has 18 months from WIPO's notification to issue a provisional refusal, and a refusal based on an opposition may come later than that. If no refusal is issued, the mark is protected. Customs and the platforms accept the WIPO certificate showing the Türkiye designation.

  6. Ongoing

    Use, watch and clean-up

    A mark unused for 5 years can be revoked on request under Article 26, and since 10 January 2024 TÜRKPATENT decides those cases itself. That means an unused copycat mark can be cleared without going to court. Bad-faith registrations are invalidated by the IP court under Article 25, and the 5-year acquiescence limit does not protect a bad-faith filer.

What we need from you

  • The marks you want to protect
  • The goods and services to cover
  • Any existing filings, in Türkiye or abroad

Questions

  • National filing or Madrid?

    Madrid is cheaper and simpler if you already hold a home registration and use an identical mark in Türkiye. A national filing reaches a certificate faster, is easier to adapt in classes and wording, and does not depend on your home mark for 5 years. For enforcement the result is the same, a registration that covers Türkiye.

  • How long does it take?

    Usually 6 to 10 months from filing to registration for a national application with no office action or opposition. A contested opposition can add a year. A Madrid designation is protected unless TÜRKPATENT refuses it within 18 months. Customs needs a registered right, so we file before the enforcement programme starts.

  • Does an existing EU mark help?

    Not on its own, because an EU trade mark has no effect in Türkiye and the criminal route needs a mark registered here. It helps indirectly, as evidence of reputation in an opposition or invalidation against a copycat filing under Article 6. It is also the basis for a Madrid designation or a priority claim within 6 months of filing.

  • Do you work outside Istanbul?

    Yes. We work in all 81 provinces of Türkiye; most actions outside Istanbul are at the ports, the border gates and the resort markets.

  • Do we need a Turkish trademark registration first?

    Generally yes. Customs applications and criminal complaints rest on a registration that covers Türkiye, either a national filing with TÜRKPATENT or an international registration under the Madrid system.

  • How do you report?

    Once a month. The report lists the actions taken, the seizures, the costs and the next steps, and you can forward it internally as it is.

FAQ →

Related insights

TALK TO US ABOUT PROTECTINGYOUR BRAND IN TÜRKİYE.

Talk to us

Write in English or Turkish; we reply within one business day.