Protecting intellectual property rights in Türkiye: navigating legal and cultural dimensions

Abstract

This study is dedicated to examining Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement in Türkiye, a nation recognized as a significant producer and transit hub in the illicit trade of counterfeit goods. Türkiye has undergone substantial transformations in its IPR regime over the past decade, marked by the enactment of new legislation featuring enhanced criminal provisions and penalties specifically addressing trademark infringement. Despite being one of the primary source economies for counterfeit goods entering the European Union, the academic discourse on the IPR enforcement landscape in Türkiye, alongside the perceptions surrounding IPR within the nation, remains inadequately explored. This qualitative inquiry seeks to fill this scholarly lacuna by investigating the perceptions of IPR among pivotal stakeholders responsible for IPR enforcement, including legal professionals, prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials in the country.