One focus, more than 20 years of experience

Always focused on IP, we work with spirit and enthusiasm.

Where ideas meet expertise

Starker IP offers a wide range of intellectual property services starting from protection to enforcement in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus.

Who we are

Starker IP offers a wide range of intellectual property services starting from protection to enforcement in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus. The team has more than 20 years of specialized experience in national and international IP, including law enforcement and litigation, and is one of the leading firms.

Our office offers all services mainly in German and English language and is consulting clients with fast, and transparent communication skills.

The main goal is to make it always simpler rather than making it more complicated for the client. Getting to the bottom of cases by breaking complex matters is always the methodology for handling tasks.

We prefer it simple for the client and take it seriously by focusing on the main goal and question. Transparency and clarification are a priority and we follow these priorities with passion and spirit.

Awards

Our Chartered Trademark and Patent Attorney Mrs. Dilek Zeybel has been recommended and listed by WTR1000 in 2022 and 2023, which is one of the most prestigious rankings in the IP business.

WTR says for her ranking: “Dilek is a versatile IP attorney who supports her clients in many meaningful ways - she makes light work of managing large portfolios, and overseas enforcement and transactional assignments with confidence and poise.”

Selected as one of the Leading IP firms by WIPR (World Intellectual Property Review), which is one of the prestigious international IP magazines, our attorneys have been rewarded with the “WIPR Leader Awards between 2017-2023” in Turkey and “Influential Women in IP 2020, 2021 and 2022”.

Aylin Özgür Şener, one of our Chartered Trademark and Patent Attorneys has been recognized by MIP IP Stars in 2023.

Management

Dilek Zeybel

Head of IP
Chartered Trademark and Patent Attorney

Aylin Özgür Şener

Head of IP
Chartered Trademark and Patent Attorney

Only
area of focus

More than
years of experience

Represented
+ cases

In
countries

For
clients

Together with
partners and associates

Competences

Trademarks

Patents

Industrial Designs

IP Portfolio Management

Domain Name Filings & Disputes

Legal & Anti-Counterfeit Services

Memberships

News & Insights

The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office will take over invalidation actions based on non-use of trademarks from courts as of January 2024
23.06.2023

As already known, in January 2017 the new trademark and patent law No. 6769 came into force in Türkiye, which is almost identical to EU law and included important changes. It was already known in 2017 that in January 2024 the Turkish Patent Office would take over invalidation actions due to the non-use of trademarks from courts. This is an important step as there are hundreds of thousands of trademarks in Türkiye that are not in continuous use, which pose obstacles for clients in obtaining trademark rights. Now, in January 2024, the Turkish Patent Office will take over invalidation actions due to the non-use of courts and decide itself. At the moment, only courts are responsible for this process, which of course involves higher costs, especially since it involves lawsuits and represents a lengthy process that often lasts 2-3 years. It is already foreseeable that from January 2024 applicants will claim rights much more cheaply and in less time by challenging the rights of others who are not in use, within the scope of a very simplified process. The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office is working very intensively on this project and will take over nullity actions on January 1st, 2024. However, it can be strongly assumed that complaints that have already been filed before the courts will not be taken over by the Office.

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Turkish Patent and Trademark Office Launches New Search App
02.06.2023

As meanwhile known, the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office is a totally digital and paperless office, which is very transparent. The local Office launches now a search tool for trademark searches and opened it to the public through the Playstore and Appstore which allows users to search for trademarks, applicants, and the entire trademark details. The links to the App can be found here: Play Store➡ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tr.gov.turkpatent.app App Store➡ https://apps.apple.com/tr/app/t%C3%BCrkpatent/id6449761796?l=tr

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TPTO started notifying Applicants of International Trademarks Concerning Incoming Opposition
20.01.2020

International trademark holders designating Turkey were at a deep disadvantage with respect to incoming oppositions filed by third parties against published trademarks in Turkey filed through WIPO. As known, the new IP code no. 6769 came into force in January 2017 and opposing parties have to prove upon request by the opposed trademark holder to prove use if their trademark is registered for more than 5 years as of the date of their registration. The so-called “counterstatement stage” which provided trademark holders with the right to ask for proof of use by the opposing party is only possible after an incoming opposition has been notified by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office to the published trademark holder. The fact was that until 2020 the TPTO did not send a notification to WIPO, due to internal reasons, about incoming oppositions, and holders were forced to monitor the local part of their trademark in Turkey to detect incoming oppositions to not lose the right to force counterparts to prove use. Not providing a use upon request by the trademark holder means for opponents that their opposition will be directly rejected without further examination. Now the local Office announced that all incoming oppositions will be officially notified to WIPO which allows the trademark applicants designating Turkey to take advantage of the use-requirement regulation. This is now an important step and holders of international trademarks designating Turkey have definitely taken a look at the use-requirement status of opposing parties and their trademarks, since this is the single stage during an opposition process to ask for use. Otherwise, only courts are currently responsible for non-use invalidation actions that can be costly and associated with 2-3 years until a final decision to cancel a counterpart’s trademark.

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Take the Advantage of Multiple Design Filings in Turkey
20.01.2017

Design rights are regulated by IP Law no. 6769 as of the 10th of January 2017. One of the most significant prosecutions Turkey keeps in the design registration field is, implementing a multiple-filing system. Contrary to what is believed, the applicants may file only one design application, including multiple designs for an indefinite number of designs. The designs falling under the same Locarno Class could be incorporated in the same design filing to benefit from the following advantages; Having all designs registered under the same application provides you with only one filing number, only one procedure to follow up, and only one registration number in the end. That is also reflected in the renewals, and you just need to renew only one registration after 5 years. Having all designs registered under the same application provides you with a budget-saving advantage and affordable procedure since you do not have to pay for each design application separately. Of course, the filing costs increase when the number of designs is growing, but it is still cost-effective because the filing costs of an individual single design application is quite a lot times higher. Turkey also has an e-filing system that allows us to receive the filing number and the filing receipt simultaneously as the filing. If all information or document is submitted sufficiently at the beginning, we usually expect to receive the design applications registered within 5 months.

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Testimonials

Dr. Udo Weigelt (Partner at Grünecker & Patent Attorneys and Attorneys-At-Law - Germany)

“Dilek is a versatile IP attorney who supports her clients in many meaningful ways – she makes light work of managing large portfolios, and overseas enforcement and transactional assignments with confidence and poise.”

Dietrich Blumenroehr (Partner & LBP Lemcke Brommer & Partner- Germany)

“Dilek is a versatile IP attorney who supports her clients in many meaningful ways – she makes light work of managing large portfolios, and overseas enforcement and transactional assignments with confidence and poise.”

Karin Becks (Partner at Arnold & Siedsma- The Netherlands)

“Dilek is a versatile IP attorney who supports her clients in many meaningful ways – she makes light work of managing large portfolios, and overseas enforcement and transactional assignments with confidence and poise.”

Lauren Sommers (Head of Trademarks at HGF - United Kingdom)

“Dilek is a versatile IP attorney who supports her clients in many meaningful ways – she makes light work of managing large portfolios, and overseas enforcement and transactional assignments with confidence and poise.”

Kristy Lau (Head of IP - Alibaba Holdings)

“Dilek is a versatile IP attorney who supports her clients in many meaningful ways – she makes light work of managing large portfolios, and overseas enforcement and transactional assignments with confidence and poise.”