New practice for due dates for renewal fees of Turkish trademarks and designs to be applied as from January 10, 2018

Turkey introduced its New Industrial Property Code of Laws for patents, trademarks, designs, geographical indications last year on January 10, 2017.

According to the New Code, renewal fees for trademarks (every 10 years) and designs (every 5 years but upto 25 years at most) will become due for payment on the anniversary day of the filing date. Contrary to the New Code, Old Trademark and Design Decree Laws (Decree Law No. 554 and 556 respectively) was allowing the renewal fees for trademarks and designs to be paid on the last day of the month containing the anniversary day of the filing date.

New Industrial Property Code coming into force on January 10, 2017 has prescribed a transitional period, which keeps the practice of earlier Trademark and Design Decree Laws applicable in respect of the due dates for trademarks and designs throughout 12 months as from the coming into force of the New Code, which covers the periods between January 10, 2017 and January 10, 2018.

The transitional period will come to end as from January 10, 2018 and from that date on, the renewal fees due for trademarks and designs should be paid on the anniversary day of the filing date but not on the last day of the month containing the anniversary date.

This change requires attention for the rights holders and trademark and design attorneys and agents in their upcoming handling renewal fees in Turkey to avoid any surcharges of relatively high amounts or loss of rights.

Source: http://www.turkrenewals.com/news.html