A milestone year for IP in Turkey

Turkey’s Industrial Property Law (IPL) entered into force on January 10, 2017. Trademarks, patents, utility models, designs and geographical indications that were previously protected separately by decree laws are now brought together under the umbrella of the IPL.

By virtue of Turkey’s accession to the EU Customs Union and becoming a party to the TRIPS Agreement, 1995 was a milestone in terms of the Turkish IP legislation. Now, with the IPL, we are experiencing a second milestone.

The IPL regulates industrial property rights, which constitute one of the most important legs of commerce, and has enormous potential to deeply affect the business life in Turkey in the following years.

The law introduces plenty of changes in all industrial protection models. The main changes to design protection are as follows: