Serial Registration of Famous Mark Identical Sign: Bad Faith and Full Invalidation
Bakırköy 1st IP Court invalidated four trademarks in classes 20 and 24 using the same sign as a well-known trademark, finding bad faith under Article …
Read moreBlog & Articles
Plain-English analyses of Turkish trademark, design and intellectual-property court decisions.
Domain Name as Trademark Infringement: Access Blocked, Damages Awarded — Final
Bakırköy 1st IP Court found that a domain name virtually identical to the plaintiff's registered trademark constituted infringement, ordered access bl…
Read more
Scope of Protection Decisive in Utility Model Infringement: Safety Lock Case
Bakırköy 1st IP Court dismissed a utility model infringement claim for a safety lock, finding the defendant's product outside both literal and equival…
Read more
Celebrity Name Registered as Trademark: Bad Faith and Full Invalidation
Bakırköy 1st IP Court invalidated trademarks registered using a well-known artist's name, finding bad-faith stockpiling and extortion intent under Art…
Read more
Selling Online Game Cheats: Not Copyright Infringement, But Unfair Competition
Bakırköy 1st IP Court ruled that selling cheat plugins for an online game neither infringes trademark rights nor copyright, but constitutes unfair com…
Read more
Well-Known Trademark Protection in Turkey: Conditions, Scope and Legal Consequences
What is a well-known trademark in Turkey? Learn the legal conditions under SMK Article 6/4 and the Paris Convention, how cross-class protection works,…
Read more
Trademark Registration in Turkey: A Complete Guide for US Businesses
Planning to sell in Turkey or protect your brand there? Learn how US companies can register a trademark in Turkey through TÜRKPATENT or the Madrid Pro…
Read more
Invalidity Action Filed Six Years After Registration Barred by Limitation Period; Non-Use Cancellation Partially Granted
A media and publishing company sought both invalidation and non-use cancellation of a competitor's trademark. The court dismissed the invalidity claim…
Read more
Expert Said Invalidate, Court Said Dismiss: Likelihood of Confusion Is a Legal Question for the Judge
An internationally recognized textile brand sued a competitor over its 'TST' trademark, seeking invalidation on grounds of similarity and bad faith. D…
Read more
One Counterfeit Cookie Triggers Trademark Lawsuit: "We Didn't Know" and "A Customer Left It" Defenses Both Rejected
During an on-site trademark inspection at a pastry shop, only a single cookie was found bearing a famous sports club's registered mark. The defendant …
Read more
"I Bought It from a Wholesaler" Defense Fails: 25 Counterfeit Sports Jerseys Found to Infringe Trademark
A retailer caught selling 25 counterfeit children's jerseys bearing a major sports club's registered trademark argued that the goods were purchased fr…
Read more
Glass Sector Competitor's Two Trademarks Invalidated for Likelihood of Confusion
A glass manufacturer holding earlier trademark registrations sought invalidation of a competitor's later-filed marks. The court found the marks confus…
Read more
Suing for Trademark Infringement After 10+ Years of Silence: How 'Acquiescence' Ended the Case
A registered owner sued a neighbouring business that had used the same name for over ten years. The court treated the late action as an abuse of right…
Read more
Selling Counterfeit Socks in a Shop: Does 'I Didn't Know It Was Illegal' Work as a Defense?
A shopkeeper selling counterfeit socks of a well-known brand argued he 'didn't know' — the court rejected it. Since bad faith is not required for trad…
Read more
Can Generic Phrases Like '24/7' Give You a Trademark Monopoly? Court Finds No Confusion
Because the phrase common to the marks was a secondary element used by everyone in the sector, the Court of Cassation reversed the decision, holding t…
Read more
Suing the Wrong Party in a Trademark Cancellation Case: The 'Wrong Defendant' Trap
The claimant sued the company using the contested mark, but the mark was registered in the name of a different individual. The court dismissed the cas…
Read more
A Rival Registered Your Long-Used Design and Sent a Cease Notice? Court Cancels the Bad-Faith Design
A company that registered a long-used fabric pattern under its own name and then sent a cease notice to the genuine user lost its design: the court fo…
Read more
No Registration, Still Protected: ₺138,000 in Damages for Copying an Unregistered Design
The court protected a company's unregistered garment designs that it had first disclosed to the public, ordering the copycat to pay ₺88,731 material a…
Read more
13,488 Counterfeit Goods Seized at Customs and Destroyed: Protecting Trademarks at the Border
13,488 counterfeit eyeliners stopped at customs were ruled trademark-infringing and ordered destroyed after the registered owner sued. The decision sh…
Read more
A Similar Name Is Not Always Trademark Infringement: Court Finds 'No Likelihood of Confusion'
Because the two marks differed in their opening elements and overall impression, the court held there was no likelihood of confusion and dismissed the…
Read more
Can a Rival Lock Your Product on E-Commerce? Court Cancels a Bad-Faith Design Registration
A seller registered a long-public product as its own design and used it to freeze a competitor's e-commerce listings. The court found the design lacke…
Read more
Counterfeit Trademark Use Cost ₺418,000 in Damages: How Turkish Courts Protect Well-Known Marks
A Turkish IP court ruled that unauthorized use of a registered, well-known trademark is infringement and awarded ₺318,659 in material plus ₺100,000 in…
Read more
ELCİ | 2026 All Rights Reserved ©