- Protection period
- 5 years; extendable in 5-year periods for up to 25 years
- Process duration
- For applications that proceed without opposition, usually from a few months up to a year; longer if there is an opposition, a refusal or a deficiency to be completed
Table of contents
- What is industrial design registration?
- What conditions must a design meet to be registered?
- For which products can a design be registered?
- What is the difference between a design, a trademark and a patent?
- How does the protection period work?
- What rights does design registration give you?
- What are the most common mistakes in design registration?
- What should be considered before applying?
- How does the design registration process work?
- How long does design registration take?
- Unregistered design, deferment of publication, and multiple applications
- Opposition and renewal deadlines after filing
- 2026 official fees (design)
- What does Anlar Grup do in design registration?
What is industrial design registration?
An industrial design is the appearance of a product or part of a product: its lines, contours, colors, shape, texture and the outwardly visible characteristics of the material used. Design registration is the recording of this appearance with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) under Industrial Property Law No. 6769 (SMK). Registration provides a legal basis to prevent others from making, selling and using, without permission, an identical appearance or one that creates the same overall impression.
Design registration protects not how a product works, but how it looks. If you want to protect a technical solution, you should consider a patent or a utility model; for most products, these rights can be considered together.
What conditions must a design meet to be registered?
Two basic criteria are required for a design to be protected:
- Novelty: An identical design must not have been made available to the public before the filing date.
- Individual character: The overall impression it produces on an informed user must differ from the impression produced by existing designs.
These criteria require the design to go beyond being a minor variation of another product. In addition, appearance features that are dictated solely by the product's function may fall outside protection; differences made in areas where there is design freedom are protected.
For which products can a design be registered?
Almost every type of industrial and handicraft product can be the subject of a design. For example:
- Furniture, lighting and home decoration products
- Packaging, bottle and container shapes
- Jewelry, accessories, watches and eyewear
- Footwear, bags and textile patterns
- Hand tools, device casings and electronic product bodies
- Toys and gift items
The international Locarno Classification is used to determine which class products fall into. In certain cases, several designs that meet the conditions can be combined in a single application; we assess this detail according to your product group in the initial consultation.
What is the difference between a design, a trademark and a patent?
| Type of right | What does it protect? | Protection period |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial design | The appearance of the product | 5 years, can be extended up to 25 years |
| Trademark | The sign that distinguishes the product or service | 10 years, renewable indefinitely |
| Patent | The technical solution (invention) | 20 years |
These rights do not exclude one another. For example, an original bottle shape can be protected as a design, the name and logo on it as a trademark, and the closing mechanism as a patent or utility model.
How does the protection period work?
In industrial design, protection is initially 5 years. This period can be renewed in 5-year periods and extended up to a total of 25 years. An application must be filed before the period expires for each renewal. We recommend setting up a monitoring system so that you do not miss the renewal dates.
What rights does design registration give you?
Registration gives the design owner a right against the unauthorized making, offering for sale, use and importation of the registered design and of appearances that create the same overall impression. You can use the design yourself, assign it, or earn revenue by granting a license. The right may cover not only an exact copy but also similar appearances that create the same overall impression on an informed user; where the boundary begins is assessed according to the specific case.
What are the most common mistakes in design registration?
- Sharing the design at a trade fair, in a catalog or on social media before registration
- Submitting insufficient or inconsistent visuals and thereby leaving out appearances that should be protected
- Registering only a trademark and leaving the product's shape unprotected
- Missing the priority right period for foreign countries (6 months)
- Not monitoring the 5-year renewal date
What should be considered before applying?
- File first, publicize later: Exhibiting the product at a trade fair, publishing it in a catalog or sharing it online may affect novelty; the exceptions in the legislation are limited. Applying before the design is made public is the safest route.
- Prepare the visuals correctly: The scope of registration is determined by the visuals attached to the application. Clear and consistent visuals showing all the important views of the product are needed.
- Plan for foreign countries: Under the Paris Convention, the priority period for designs is 6 months. If you are considering protection abroad, act early because this period is short.
- Think about the product family: If you will produce similar variations, plan the scope for each of them from the start.
How does the design registration process work?
- Initial consultation: Your product, your market and your protection goal are discussed; the design's suitability for registration is assessed.
- Preparing the visual file: All the views of the product that you want to protect are prepared in the format required for the application, and the product class is determined.
- Filing: The file is submitted to TÜRKPATENT and the filing date is recorded.
- Examination by the Office: The application is examined for form and other relevant aspects; if a deficiency notice arrives, it is answered within the period set by the legislation.
- Publication and opposition: An application found acceptable is published; the period set by the legislation runs for third parties' right to oppose.
- Registration and monitoring: The registration certificate is delivered; renewal monitoring is set up for the 5-year periods.
How long does design registration take?
For applications that proceed without opposition, the process usually takes from a few months up to a year. The time is extended if there is a deficiency notice, a refusal or a third-party opposition. We do not promise an exact number of days; however, we follow every stage from application preparation to after publication and do not miss deadlines.
Note: Design registration protects the appearance of a product, not its function. Products with the same appearance working in different ways does not remove design protection; however, if you want to protect how the product works, you should separately consider a patent or utility model.
Unregistered design, deferment of publication, and multiple applications
Design protection has two routes: registered and unregistered. If a design is filed with and registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT), it is protected as a "registered design"; if it was first made available to the public in Türkiye, it can also be protected without registration as an "unregistered design". The term of protection of an unregistered design is 3 years from the date the design was first made available to the public. A registered design is protected for 5 years and can be extended in 5-year periods up to a total of 25 years.
- Deferment of publication: Together with the application, deferment of publication can be requested for 30 months starting from the filing (or priority) date. During this period, the image of the design and the file information remain closed to examination by third parties; this is useful for those who want to keep the design confidential before launching the product.
- Multiple application: More than one design can be filed in a single application; the tariff defines separate fees for additional designs.
- Disclosure exception: Disclosure of the design to the public by the designer within the 12 months before filing does not affect novelty or individual character. Even so, it is safer to file the application before sharing.
Opposition and renewal deadlines after filing
| Topic | Period / rule | SMK |
|---|---|---|
| Priority right documents | Submitted within 3 months from the filing date | Art. 63 |
| Appeal against the decision (applicant) | 2 months from notification of the decision | Art. 67 |
| Opposition to registration (third parties) | Within 3 months from the publication date of the registration, upon payment of the fee | Art. 67 |
| Renewal | Within the 6 months before the end of the protection period; if missed, within the 6 months after expiry with an additional fee | Art. 69 |
2026 official fees (design)
The amounts were taken from the 2026 table on TÜRKPATENT's "Design Transaction Fees" page (checked on November 14, 2026). The service fee is not included.
| Item | 2026 fee |
|---|---|
| Design registration application | 2.070,00 TL |
| 2nd design in the same application | 1.674,90 TL |
| Each of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th designs in the same application | 318,70 TL |
| Each of the 6th and subsequent designs in the same application | 760,00 TL |
| Publication fee (for each 8 × 8 cm area) | 280,00 TL |
| Request for deferment of publication (for each design) | 280,00 TL |
| Renewal (single design) | 6.340,00 TL |
| Renewal — each additional design | 520,00 TL |
| Priority right registration fee | 3.420,00 TL |
| Issuance of the registration certificate or a copy of the register | 2.090,00 TL |
| Opposition to publication (for each design, paid by the opposing party) | 320,00 TL |
Because the publication fee is calculated according to the area covered by the images of the design, describing the product with a small number of well-framed images affects the cost. For details, see our article on unregistered design, deferment of publication, and multiple applications.
What does Anlar Grup do in design registration?
- Mapping the protection of your product in terms of design, utility model, patent and trademark
- Arranging the visual file for the application and determining the product class
- TÜRKPATENT filing, correspondence and deadline monitoring
- Guidance on the priority right for foreign countries
- Monitoring of renewal periods
Get a quote to secure your designs before they are copied.
What the service includes
- Protection map across design, patent, utility model and trademark
- Assessment of suitability for registration
- Arrangement of the visual file in the required application format
- Determining the product class under the Locarno Classification
- TÜRKPATENT filing, publication and opposition monitoring
- Deadline monitoring for the Paris priority right (6 months)
- Monitoring of the 5-year renewal periods
- In-person service in Konya and Ankara, and remote service as well
The application process, step by step
-
1
Initial consultation and suitability
We listen to the appearance of your product, your market and your competitors, and assess the design's suitability for registration.
-
2
Visual file preparation
Clear visuals showing all the views to be protected are prepared in the application format, and the product class is determined.
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3
Filing
The file is submitted to TÜRKPATENT; the filing date is recorded and the 6-month priority right calendar is monitored.
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4
Examination by the Office
Deficiency or correction notices are answered within the periods set by the legislation.
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5
Publication and opposition process
Any oppositions after publication are monitored and the necessary responses are prepared.
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6
Registration and renewal monitoring
The registration certificate is delivered; monitoring is set up for the 5-year renewal periods.
Required information and documents
- Visuals of the design (clear drawings or photographs showing all the important views of the product)
- Product name and product class information
- Applicant's identification or trade name details
- Designer details
- Power of attorney (if the application will be filed through a representative)
- Priority document, if any
- Official fee payment receipt
Frequently asked questions about Industrial Design Registration
How many years is an industrial design protected?
Design protection is initially 5 years. This period can be extended by renewing in 5-year periods, for a total of up to 25 years at most. A renewal application must be filed at the end of each period; tracking is recommended so you do not miss the renewal date.
What is the difference between design registration and trademark registration?
Design registration protects the appearance of a product (shape, pattern, color, texture) and lasts from 5 years up to a maximum of 25 years. Trademark registration, on the other hand, protects the name or logo that distinguishes a product or service and can be renewed indefinitely in 10-year periods. The two complement each other.
Is the function of a design also protected?
No. Design registration protects only the appearance, not how the product works. To protect the technical solution, a patent or utility model is needed. For most products, broader protection can be achieved by using design, utility model, and trademark together.
Can I offer a design for sale before registering it?
This is not recommended. Making a design public before filing can undermine the novelty requirement; the exceptions in the legislation are limited. Completing the application before exhibiting, publishing a catalog, or sharing on the internet is the safest route.
Can more than one design application be filed at the same time?
Designs that meet the conditions can, in certain cases, be combined in a single application. The classes of the products in the Locarno Classification and the relationship between them are decisive in this respect. In the initial consultation, we assess together the method that suits your product group.
How do I apply for design protection abroad?
A design right is territorial. Under the Paris Convention, applications can be filed in other countries claiming the right of priority within 6 months from the application in Türkiye. Because this period is short, if you have targets abroad, it is recommended to plan at the time of the first application.
What are the official fees for design registration?
In TÜRKPATENT's 2026 tariff, a design registration application costs 2.070 TL; 1.674,90 TL is paid for the 2nd design added to the same application, 318,70 TL for each of the 3rd to 5th designs, and 760 TL for the 6th and subsequent designs. The publication fee is 280 TL for each 8 × 8 cm area, and renewal is 6.340 TL for a single design. The amounts may change and do not include the service fee.
