TPI Information and Documentation Unit Operations
TPE Information and Documentation Unit provides free consultancy, information and documentation services to our members who want to apply for trademark, patent, industrial design, geographical indications and utility models.
1- TRADEMARK REGISTRATION INFORMATION SERVICE
What is a trademark? A trademark is a sign that allows the goods or services offered by an enterprise to be distinguished from those of other enterprises. Distinctive words, letters, numbers, drawings, pictures, shapes, logos, labels or combinations of these used to distinguish goods or services are considered trademarks.
You can find out whether a trademark you plan to apply for registration or one that is indistinguishably similar has been previously registered or whether a registration application has been made by searching in the "Online Transactions" section of www.tpe.gov.tr.
For trademark registration application;- A form petition filled on a computer or with a typewriter,- 5 trademark samples and- The original receipt of the trademark application fee must be prepared and submitted to the Turkish Patent Institute.
Trademark registration costs vary depending on the scope of the goods and services requested to be registered. The fees requested by the Institute regarding trademark transactions can be accessed at www.tpe.gov.tr. A registered trademark benefits from protection for 10 years from the date of application. It is possible to protect a registered trademark by renewing it for 10-year periods.
Trademark Registration Process:- Trademark registration procedures are concluded in an average of 8 months.- Trademark applications received by TPE in full are published in the Official Trademark Bulletin for a period of three months if there is no reason for rejection after the data entry, coding of goods and services, search and examination stages.- If no objection is made to the publication, the missing documents required for registration are requested from the applicant and if the missing documents are corrected within the period, the Trademark Registration Certificate is issued and sent to the applicant.- If the application is partially or completely rejected during the initial examination of the application or upon objection to the publication, the applicant has the right to object to the Institute's decisions within a period of two months.- Upon objection, the Institute's decisions are re-examined and new decisions are notified to the applicant by mail. In case of objection to the applications, the application evaluation and trademark registration periods may exceed one year.
Advantages of Trademark Registration:- Trademark registration gives the owner the right to use the trademark alone and the authority to prevent unauthorized use.- It gives the right to prevent unauthorized use of any sign that is likely to cause confusion with the same or similar goods or services within the scope of trademark registration, that will gain unfair advantage due to the reputation of the registered trademark or that will damage the distinctive character of the registered trademark. In addition, the registered trademark can be transferred to someone else, inherited, the right to use can be licensed, given as a pledge or shown as collateral.- Unregistered trademarks cannot benefit from the rights and protection provided by the laws on the registration and protection of trademarks.
2- PATENT & UTILITY MODEL INFORMATION SERVICE
What is a Patent & Utility Model? It is the right of the inventor to produce, use, sell or import the product that is the subject of the invention for a certain period of time. The document showing this right is called a patent. Another type of document issued to protect new inventions is the Utility Model Certificate.
Documents required for Patent/Utility Model Application; Before preparing a patent application, the "Patent/Utility Model Application Guide" must be read carefully. The guide can be accessed at www.tpe.gov.tr.
- Application petition, (can be obtained from TPE's website, 1 copy) - Description explaining the invention, (3 copies) - Claims covering the technical features claimed to be new for the invention sought to be protected, (3 copies) - Technical drawings related to the invention if deemed necessary, (3 copies) - Summary, (3 copies) - Original document showing that the application fee has been paid (bank receipt)
How Does the Post-Application Process Work?- After the application is received by the Institute, a letter stating that the application has been received and whether there are any formal deficiencies in your application is sent to the other party within a maximum of 1 month.- Subsequent procedures are notified to you in writing.- The protection date for the patent or utility model starts from the application date.- There are no standard periods for obtaining the document, it may change depending on the situations that develop during the process.
What is the difference between a patent and a utility model? - A utility model can be granted for all products with technical developments that can be subject to a patent, except for chemical substances and methods. - It is a system that can be recommended domestically, especially for SMEs and inventors who want to obtain protection at a lower cost for the new products they have developed. - Which of the patent or utility model application systems should you use for your invention?The applicant decides on which one to choose. - The most important thing to consider for a utility model application is that applications should not be made for products that are not new. - Even if an application is made for products that are not new and a utility model certificate is obtained, if it can be proven by third parties that the product is not new, the document can be cancelled through court.
What is the Cost of a Patent? The fees to be paid from the application to the document stage vary and the annual fees to be paid for the subsequent 20-year protection period are adjusted every year. Information can be obtained from the fee tables published on the website and in the application guides. In addition, there are different fees for applications made abroad to obtain protection. The fees to be paid vary for each country where protection is requested. In addition, it is possible to benefit from TÜBİTAK incentives for applications made after August 23, 2006.
What are the advantages of a patent?- Patents provide rights related to the use, production and sale of the invention for 20 years from the application date, exclusive to the patent owner.- With these special rights obtained, you can prevent others from using your invention commercially, increase your competitive power and reach a leading position in the market.- A significant amount of time and money is invested to produce advanced products. Under the umbrella of special rights provided by patent protection, you can turn your expenses for your investments into profit.- If you do not want to produce your invention yourself, you can earn income by making a license or transfer agreement with another company.- Having a large number of patents will be perceived by your business partners and investors as an indicator of your company's high level of expertise and technological capacity, and will increase the market value of the company.
