Late Trademark Renewal in Turkey: The Grace Period and Restoration

Missed your Turkish trademark’s renewal date? You are not necessarily too late. Late trademark renewal in Turkey is possible for six months after the registration expires, through a grace period that lets you keep the mark alive by paying the renewal fee plus a late surcharge. This guide explains that grace period, the late fees, what restoration really means once a mark has lapsed, and the practical steps to protect a brand you have already built.

What Is Late Trademark Renewal in Turkey?

Late trademark renewal in Turkey is the renewal of a registered trademark after its expiry date has passed, carried out during the grace period that Turkish law allows. A Turkish trademark lasts ten years from its filing date, and the owner can renew it in the six months before that expiry. If the on-time window is missed, the right is not lost straight away. Türkiye’s Industrial Property Code No. 6769 keeps the door open for a further six months, so a late renewal can still secure the mark for the next ten-year term.

The point of a late renewal is continuity. When you complete a late trademark renewal inside the grace period, the registration continues as though it had never expired, and there is no gap in protection. What changes is the cost: a late renewal carries an extra fee on top of the standard renewal charge. The mark is not re-examined, and you do not have to prove use, so the task stays administrative rather than contentious.

The Trademark Grace Period in Turkey Explained

The trademark grace period in Turkey is a six-month window after the registration expires during which the owner can still renew by paying an additional fee. It runs immediately from the expiry date, which falls exactly ten years after the filing date. As of the time this article is written, the grace period is six months, but because procedural rules and official fees change, confirm the current position with a trademark and patent attorney or against the TÜRKPATENT fee schedule (turkpatent.gov.tr).

During the trademark grace period in Turkey, your rights sit in a suspended state. The mark has technically expired, yet a valid late renewal revives it, and once revived the protection is treated as continuous. That is why an owner who acts promptly inside the grace period rarely suffers any real loss beyond the surcharge. The framework comes from Türkiye’s Industrial Property Code No. 6769, the same law that fixes the ten-year term.

In our practice before TÜRKPATENT, owners usually rely on the trademark grace period in Turkey not through carelessness but because a reminder went to an old address or a former agent. The grace period exists for exactly these situations, but it is a safety net, not a plan, and the sooner you act inside it the cheaper the renewal is.

How Late Trademark Renewal in Turkey Works, Step by Step

A late renewal follows the same sequence as an on-time renewal, with the late fee added on top. The process runs as follows:

1. Confirm the expiry date and the grace deadline. Find the filing date on the registration certificate, count ten years forward to the expiry date, then add six months to see how long the grace period still gives you.
2. Check the owner and the address. Make sure the recorded owner name and correspondence address are current. If ownership changed through assignment or merger, record that first so the renewal sits on the correct name.
3. Review the goods and services. Decide whether to renew the full list or only part of it. A late renewal is a natural moment to drop classes you no longer use and to lower the fee.
4. Calculate the fees. Work out the official renewal fee based on the number of classes, then add the late surcharge that applies within the grace period.
5. Pay and file the renewal request. Pay the fees to TÜRKPATENT and submit the renewal request, usually online, with proof of payment. A foreign owner files through a registered Turkish trademark and patent attorney.
6. Keep the confirmation and diarise the next date. Once the Office records the renewal, store the confirmation and set a reminder for the next deadline, with an earlier alert so you never again need the grace period.

Because the steps carry hard deadlines, many owners handle a grace-period renewal through an attorney who tracks the date, calculates the surcharge and confirms the renewal is correctly recorded.

Late Trademark Renewal Fees in Turkey

Late trademark renewal fees in Turkey have two layers: the standard official TÜRKPATENT renewal fee and an additional late surcharge for renewing after expiry. The official renewal fee is a government charge set per registration, influenced by how many classes you renew, and updated by the Office each year. The late surcharge is what sets a grace-period renewal apart from an on-time one.

Official IP fees change annually, so treat any amount you read as indicative only and correct as of the time this article is written. Before you file, confirm the current charges against the TÜRKPATENT fee schedule (turkpatent.gov.tr) or with a trademark and patent attorney. Even with the surcharge, late trademark renewal fees in Turkey stay modest next to the cost and uncertainty of losing a mark and re-applying. We give clients a clear quote up front, so a late renewal holds no surprises.

What Happens When the Grace Period Ends?

The trademark grace period in Turkey is strict once it closes. If the six-month window passes without a valid renewal, the registration lapses, the protection ends and another party could in principle apply for the same or a similar mark. There are three clear stages around the renewal deadline, and each means something different in practice.

• On-time renewal, up to six months before expiry. You pay the standard official fee, and the mark stays protected with no gap.
• Late renewal, up to six months after expiry. You pay the official fee plus the late surcharge, and the mark is revived and treated as continuous.
• Lapsed, after the grace period. A fresh application fee is the only option left, and the mark is removed from the register.

The grace period is generous, but it has a hard edge. Once it ends, the right is gone, and a new filing is usually the only way back.

Trademark Restoration in Turkey After a Lapse

Trademark restoration in Turkey describes the limited options for recovering a mark after it has lapsed, and the honest answer is that they are narrow. Once the grace period closes without a valid renewal, there is no routine right to simply restore a Turkish trademark. The usual route back is a brand-new application that starts from scratch, is examined again, can be opposed, and carries no priority from the old registration.

There is one limited exception worth knowing. The Industrial Property Code No. 6769 contains a re-establishment of rights mechanism (sometimes called restitutio in integrum) for an owner who missed a deadline despite taking all due care that the circumstances required. Whether and how it can apply to a missed renewal is fact-specific and far from automatic, so it should never be treated as a reliable backup. If you are asking how to restore a lapsed trademark in Turkey, the realistic first question is always whether you are still inside the grace period, because that is the dependable route.

How to restore a lapsed trademark in Turkey

If the mark has already lapsed, how to restore a lapsed trademark in Turkey comes down to a short assessment with a trademark and patent attorney: confirm the lapse date and whether any grace period remains, check whether a re-establishment of rights request is arguable on your facts, and if not, prepare a fresh application with a clearance search. Trademark restoration in Turkey is possible in principle through these routes, but it is slower and less certain than a timely renewal.

How to Avoid Missing the Trademark Renewal Deadline

The best protection against a late renewal is a reliable reminder system. Ten years is long enough for staff, addresses and agents to change, so keep the filing date and expiry date in a place that survives those changes.

• Record the expiry date the day the mark registers. Note the filing date, add ten years, and store that date centrally rather than in one person’s inbox.
• Keep your correspondence address current. Update TÜRKPATENT and your attorney whenever the company address or contact person changes, so official reminders reach you.
• Set a first alert twelve months ahead. An early warning gives time to review the goods and services and budget for the fee before the on-time window opens.
• Use a single point of responsibility. One clear owner of the deadline, internal or an external attorney, prevents the gap that forces a late renewal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still renew my trademark in Turkey after it expires?

Yes. Late trademark renewal in Turkey is allowed for six months after the expiry date, during the grace period set by the Industrial Property Code No. 6769. You renew by paying the standard official fee plus a late surcharge, and the protection is then treated as continuous.

How long is the trademark grace period in Turkey?

The trademark grace period in Turkey is six months, counted from the expiry date, which itself falls ten years after the filing date. As of the time this article is written the period is six months, but because rules change, confirm the current figure with a trademark and patent attorney or on turkpatent.gov.tr.

How much do late trademark renewal fees in Turkey cost?

Late trademark renewal fees in Turkey combine the standard official renewal fee, which depends on the number of classes and is updated yearly, with an additional late surcharge for renewing after expiry. Confirm the current amounts against the TÜRKPATENT fee schedule before filing, because official fees change each year.

Is my trademark protected during the grace period?

Your mark has technically expired during the grace period, but a valid late renewal revives it and the protection is then treated as continuous, with no gap. The safest approach is to renew as early as possible inside the six-month window rather than relying on the final days.

What happens if I miss the grace period too?

If the grace period passes without a valid renewal, the registration lapses and is struck from the register. Recovering the mark then usually requires a fresh application, with no priority from the old registration and no guarantee the mark is still available to you.

How do I restore a lapsed trademark in Turkey?

How to restore a lapsed trademark in Turkey depends on the facts. If any grace period remains, renew at once. If the mark has fully lapsed, the normal route is a new application, and only in narrow cases might a re-establishment of rights request apply. An attorney can tell you quickly which route fits.

Do I have to prove use of my trademark to renew it late?

No. A late trademark renewal in Turkey does not require proof of use and does not reopen examination of the mark. Renewal, whether on time or in the grace period, simply continues an existing registration for another ten-year term.

Can a foreign owner handle a late renewal from abroad?

Yes, but a foreign owner not resident in Türkiye must act through a registered Turkish trademark and patent attorney, who files the request, calculates the surcharge and confirms the renewal is recorded. This is the standard way foreign brand owners manage a grace-period renewal.

Acting Inside the Grace Period: A Final Word

Late trademark renewal in Turkey gives you a real second chance, but only for six months and only at an extra cost. If your mark has recently expired, check the date today and renew inside the grace period while the route is still dependable. If it has already lapsed, speak to an advisor quickly, because trademark restoration in Turkey through a re-establishment request or a fresh application is far harder than a timely renewal. Either way, the goal is to keep a valuable brand protected without a gap. Contact us for more information.

About Leo Patent

Leo Patent is a leading trademark and patent attorney firm (marka ve patent vekili) serving foreign and Turkish clients across Türkiye. The firm is registered before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (registration no. 308755-5), and handles trademark, patent, design and other intellectual property registrations in Türkiye and internationally.

This article was prepared under the supervision of Burak Ünal, general manager of Leo Patent, registered trademark attorney (TÜRKPATENT reg. no. 2900) and registered patent attorney (TÜRKPATENT reg. no. 1677). He holds a Business Management degree from Boğaziçi University (2016) and an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics, which he attended as a Chevening Scholar; he is also a congress member of Galatasaray Sports Club. He advises clients in Turkish, English, French and Chinese. In Türkiye, trademark and patent attorneys are a regulated profession separate from lawyers: Burak Ünal is not a lawyer, and Leo Patent does not provide lawyer services or court representation.

Need help with a trademark or patent in Türkiye? Contact Leo Patent for a consultation: www.leopatent.com · [email protected] · WhatsApp +90 532 689 48 18.

Disclaimer: Leo Patent is a trademark and patent attorney firm (marka ve patent vekili) and is not a law firm; it does not provide lawyer services, legal advice or court representation. This article is for general informational purposes only and you are strongly advised to consult a qualified professional to evaluate your personal situation. No liability is accepted that may arise from the use of the information in this article.