Maximize Your International Trademark Protection with Turkish Government Subsidies

In today’s globalised economy, protecting your brand internationally is a crucial step for ensuring market expansion and safeguarding intellectual property. The Turkish Ministry of Trade offers a substantial Trademark Registration Support Program, providing financial assistance to Turkish companies aiming to register their trademarks internationally. If your company is eligible, you can benefit from governmental subsidies covering up to 75% of your expenses.

Who Can Benefit from This Support?

This program is designed explicitly for Turkish companies registered with the Commercial Registrar in Turkey. If your client owns a Turkish-registered company and files for trademark registration under that entity, they may qualify for the program’s financial aid.

Key Benefits and Coverage

1. Support Rate: The program reimburses 50% of expenses related to international trademark registration. This rate increases up to 70% if the trademark registration is in one of the Ministry’s designated “Target Countries” and up to 75% if it also falls within a “Target Sector.”
2. Support Duration: Companies can benefit from this support for a continuous period of four years from the date of the first eligible expense.
3. Annual Support Limit: A company’s maximum financial assistance in 2024 is 2,096,497 TRY. This limit is subject to annual revisions based on economic indicators.
4. Eligible Expenses: The subsidy covers a wide range of trademark-related costs, including:
   • Services from trademark/patent offices and consultancy fees.
   • Research and investigations to ensure the trademark is not already registered in the target country.
   • Mandatory legal expenses related to the registration process.
   • Legal fees associated with protecting previously registered trademarks abroad.

How to Apply?

Companies seeking financial support must submit the required documents through the Ministry’s Support Management System (DYS) within six months of incurring the expenses. The program covers all eligible applications made within four years, even if the trademark registration process has not been completed yet.

Securing financial aid for your international trademark registrations can significantly reduce the financial burden on businesses looking to expand globally. By utilizing this subsidy program, companies can ensure cost-effective international brand protection while enhancing their competitive edge in foreign markets.

Please refer to the Turkish Ministry of Trade’s website for further details and official guidelines. 

Stay ahead of the competition and protect your trademark globally with the Turkish Ministry of Trade’s Trademark Registration Support Program!

Aylin Özgür
Trademark & Patent Attorney
E: aylin@starkerip.com