INTA Delegation to Turkey Emphasizes Promotion and Protection of Intellectual Property

An INTA delegation to Turkey in early July was hosted by TÜRKPATENT, the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and representatives from the judiciary, among others. Thanks in part to the support and on-the-ground coordination of INTA Board Member Okan Çan (Deris, Turkey), the delegation visit involved meaningful engagements with local authorities who are committed to promoting and protecting intellectual property (IP).

The delegation was pleased by TÜRKPATENT’s support for small and medium-sized enterprises, the progress of its digital transformation, and its having achieved near-gender parity. The delegation also noted the Office’s efforts in educating the Turkish public about IP and encouraging entrepreneurship, and the establishment of the Turkish Industrial Property Valuation Engineering and Consultancy Services Inc., an affiliation of TÜRKPATENT based on a recommendation from INTA. This entity focuses on valuation of patents and trademarks, patent searching, and consultation for IP rights and technology transfer transactions.

During a policy dialogue hosted by TÜRKPATENT, President and Chairman of the Management Board Cemil Başpinar informed the delegation of an action plan being prepared within the scope of a memorandum of understanding signed with INTA last year and noted that the event was organized within the framework of this action plan.

The INTA delegation used the opportunity to present the Brand Value Special Task Force Report. This report demonstrates the critical role that trademark professionals play in brand valuation and brand evaluation exercises alongside finance and marketing professionals, and it provides the basis for formulating and developing practical applications of these developing concepts.

In addition, the INTA delegation advocated for the establishment of a national-level IP Rights Coordination Center and presented A Guide to Building an Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. The goal of the proposed office would be to establish a central coordination unit to fight against counterfeits, piracy, and other IP crimes. With an eye to the future, the delegation also presented The IPO of the Future—Think Tank Report.

INTA will continue to weigh in on the Turkish IP agenda by providing input on the government’s future blueprint, and teaming up with like-minded national and international stakeholders to ensure capacity building among key actors, including customs, the judiciary, and the police.

INTA’s Europe Representative Office, based in Brussels, Belgium, represents the Association’s members across Europe (which includes the European Union, non-EU member states, and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States). Working in collaboration with staff at INTA’s headquarters in New York City, the Europe Representative Office leads the Association’s policy, membership, marketing, and communications initiatives throughout the region. To learn more about INTA’s activities in Europe, please contact INTA Chief Europe Representative Officer Tat-Tienne Louembe and follow us on Twitter.

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Topics Turkey