What is an international trademark application?

Trademarks are protected only in the countries where they are registered. Trademark owners must also register their trademarks in the countries where they wish to protect them. Although there are different alternatives for trademark registration abroad, with systems that allow applications in many countries at the same time, paperwork is significantly reduced by making a single application in a single language, resulting in advantages in terms of time and especially cost.

As ANADOLU PATENT, we ensure the protection of your existing trademark, registered or unregistered at home, with the application and registration service in the countries you determine abroad, especially in the countries you export.

Advantages of registration?

Trademark registration must be done in order to secure your investments and efforts, to prevent your goods from being seized at customs during exports, to speed up your bureaucratic procedures and to secure your business against malicious people and to continue your commercial life safely without infringing the rights of others.

  • With the Trademark Registration Certificate, your brand becomes official.
  • Protects your business and brand against unregistered trademarks and counterfeits.
  • It prevents unfair profit attempts resulting from the unauthorized use of the trademark and enables the imposition of sanctions.
  • Ensures that government grants and subsidies are utilized.
  • It eliminates risks against your competitors in your commercial life.
  • It prevents possible dispute risks during export.
  • It increases the value of your brand and the competitiveness of your business.
  • Accelerates branding and institutionalization.

Anadolu Patent Services

Trademark search is the first and most important step in the trademark registration process.

In order to minimize the risks before applying, it is recommended to conduct a similarity search through data sources in the countries where the application is being considered. The results will help to determine which system can be used for the application and a strategy can be determined according to the results.

In your target markets where you export your products, do not forget to carry out your application and registration procedures to avoid problems in sales and after sales.

Click here to access the WIPO Madrid Member List form.

With our WIPmark® Monitoring Service, your trademarks are monitored and protected against similar or counterfeit trademark applications.

For more details, please see our service page, please click here.

Within the period of publication of the trademark applications filed for registration in the trademark bulletin of the relevant country office, the right holder has the right to object with a claim of right ownership. Appeals may be evaluated by the experts of the relevant country office and applications may be rejected.

The most important point in the objection procedures is the objection petitions prepared with the combination of experience and legal resources together with the evidentiary documents proving the right ownership.

Lawsuits or other legal proceedings may be filed against counterfeit products produced or sold or your registered trademarks used without authorization in accordance with the legislation in the relevant countries.

Trademarks registered by the relevant country offices are protected for 10 years* from the date of application. It is possible to extend the term of protection indefinitely by renewing for periods of 10 years*.

*May vary depending on the country.

In order to avoid any problems in protecting your trademark rights, changes in the applicant’s title, type and address; changes in the ownership of the trademark through transfer, license, merger, division or inheritance; and transactions such as attachment and pledge must be registered with the relevant country offices.

Reports are prepared by analyzing the sector and your competitors, and the necessary strategies for your company and brand are determined according to the results.

All rights belonging to your company are managed by our experts and you are prevented from losing your rights.

It is a system in which more than 100 countries, including Turkey, are members and the number of members is increasing day by day. Any number of countries can be selected with a single application. It is possible to add additional countries to the current application later. Application procedures are carried out through TURKPATENT and carried out by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

For the application to be made, an application or registration with the same trademark in Turkey is mandatory. The registration will be dependent on the application or registration filed in Turkey for 5 years and will lose its validity if the Turkish trademark is invalid. However, international registration will become independent after the expiry of 5 years.

The fact that the procedures are carried out by a single institution is more advantageous compared to direct national applications due to easier procedures, lower costs and fewer documents.

It is a single application system applicable in all 27 member states of the European Union (EU). With the addition of new member states, the register will automatically expand. Applications can be filed directly with the European Union Industrial Property Rights Office (EUIPO), headquartered in Alicante, Spain.

Country selection is not possible and a rejection in any Member State will result in the rejection of the entire application. With a refusal, the application can be converted into a national application. If the trademark is not used for 5 years after registration, the trademark may be canceled. The use of a trademark in only one country may also pose a risk of cancellation of the trademark.

The Organisation Africaine de la Propriete Intellectuelle, based in Yaoundé, Cameroon, is a system applicable in French-speaking African countries. One application provides protection in all member states. It is not possible to choose a country and a possible rejection affects all countries.

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization, based in Harare, Zimbabwe, is a system applicable in English-speaking African countries. One application provides protection in all member states. There is country selection and a possible rejection decision affects all selected countries.

Direct national application is a form of application that can be made in countries that are not part of any international or regional system. It is preferred when considering applications in a small number of countries or when the country to be applied for is not included in any system.