The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (“TPTO”) published long-awaited statistics on IP right applications for 2022. The Minister of Industry and Technology, Mustafa Varank, announced that over 209,000 local IP right applications were filed during the year. So far, this is the highest number of applications received in a year by the TPTO since its establishment in 1994.
The breakdown of the total applications is as follows: 9,009 patents, 5,502 utility models, 197,235 trademarks and 78,268 industrial designs.
It was also announced that, for the first time since 1994, the number of national patent applications surpassed the number of applications filed by foreign entities. In addition, the overall number of patent registrations in Türkiye has increased 46 times over the last 20 years. This is a really exciting development, because it goes to show that IP awareness is increasing in Türkiye and among Turkish right holders.
Another IP right that has also been on the rise is the geographical indications. There were 291 applications for geographical indications in 2022. Adding to that the 32 applications for geographical indications filed in January 2023, the current total number of registrations in the TPTO's registry stands at 1,313. This is a significant development considering that it has been Türkiye's aim to increase the number of protected geographical indications and denominations. The TPTO's announcement also provides information on which cities come first in the application numbers. Accordingly, Istanbul is at the top of the patent, utility model and design application numbers. It is followed by Ankara, Bursa and Izmir, depending on the type of protected IP rights. As for the geographical indications, Konya takes the lead, followed by Karaman and Muğla.
These figures paint a hopeful picture for IP protection in Türkiye. However, there is much to do to ensure full protection for IP right holders. It is not enough to simply have the rights registered; they should be properly managed and enforced against infringers and counterfeiters as well.
You many access the TPTO's full announcement via this link (in Turkish).
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