Trademark Assignment, License and Pledge Transactions

What is a trademark assignment?

A trademark assignment is the transfer of the rights in a trademark from its owner to another person or company. A trademark is an asset: it can be sold, donated, passed on by inheritance, or transferred to a new owner in company mergers. An assignment is made by a written agreement and must be recorded in the TÜRKPATENT register. Thanks to the register entry, the assignee appears as the new right holder.

Assignments arise in many situations, such as the transfer of a business, a franchise arrangement, the entry of an investor, a corporate restructuring and the sale of a trademark.

What types of assignment are there?

• Full assignment: The trademark passes to another party for all of its goods and services.
• Partial assignment: The trademark is assigned only with respect to certain goods/services or classes. The assignee and the assignor may use the same trademark in different fields; in that case, the risk of misleading consumers must be assessed carefully.
• Transfer by inheritance: The rights pass to the heirs upon the death of the trademark owner.
• Corporate transactions: Updating the owner's details as a result of transactions such as mergers, demergers, changes of legal form and changes of trade name.

Besides registered trademarks, trademarks at the application stage can also be assigned, depending on the conditions. An assignment does not interrupt the protection period set for the trademark; the trademark continues with its remaining term.

What is the difference between assignment, license and pledge?

What should you watch for in a license agreement?

A license is a way to earn income and grow your trademark without losing ownership of it. In practice, it is made by a written license agreement, and recording it in the register is recommended. The agreement should clearly cover the following points:

• Type of license: Under an exclusive license, only the licensee uses the trademark (depending on the agreement, the licensor cannot use it either). Under a non-exclusive license, the owner may also license it to others.
• Scope: Which goods and services, which country or region, and for what period the permission is given.
• Quality and use rules: Product quality and manner of use, to protect the trademark's reputation.
• Fee and payment: The license fee, the payment method and the due date.
• Sublicensing and assignment ban: Whether the licensee can pass its rights on to someone else.
• Expiry and termination: The cases in which the agreement ends and what happens to product stock afterwards.

Pledge and attachment records

Because a trademark is a right with commercial value, it can be offered as a pledge for security. Situations such as pledging a trademark against a debt or an attachment being placed on a trademark can also be recorded in the register. Pledge and attachment records can create restrictions that need to be known in connection with a later assignment or licensing of the trademark. For this reason, the register entry should be checked before purchase.

Why is recording in the register important?

Recording assignment, license and pledge transactions in the TÜRKPATENT register matters for their validity against third parties. If no register entry is made, problems can arise in dealings with third parties even if the agreement between the parties is valid.

Important: Before buying or licensing a trademark, always check the register entry, any opposition, cancellation or attachment records, and the renewal date. Current fees should be confirmed with TÜRKPATENT.

Checklist before an assignment or license

1. Is the trademark really registered in the assignor's name? Are the register details and trade name up to date?
2. Is the renewal date for the trademark approaching, or has it expired?
3. Is there a pledge, attachment or an ongoing opposition or cancellation proceeding on the trademark?
4. Whether the trademark is actually in use; is there evidence of use within the last 5 years?
5. Will the assignment be full or partial; which classes will be covered?
6. Is there a risk of misleading consumers in the use after the assignment?

What should be done after an assignment?

• Confirm the register entry: Make sure the new owner's details appear correctly in the register.
• Adjust use for the new owner: Update the trademark owner's details on packaging, the website, invoices and promotional materials.
• Review existing licenses: If licenses were granted before the assignment, clarify in writing what happens to them.
• Take over the renewal calendar: The end of the protection period and the 5-year use tracking are now your responsibility.
• Archive evidence of use: Keep records showing use after the assignment in order from the start.

In company acquisitions or investment processes, checking the person in whose name the trademarks are registered and the status of the register is one of the most important preparatory steps of the transaction. If the trademark appears in the register under another person or an old trade name, these details must be updated first.

2026 official fees and license types

TÜRKPATENT's 2026 tariff includes the following fees for trademark register transactions (checked on November 14, 2026). The service fee is not included.

Under the law, a trademark right may be the subject of a license agreement for some or all of the goods and services for which it is registered (SMK Art. 24). A license may be granted on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis; unless the agreement states otherwise, the license is non-exclusive. Under a non-exclusive license, the licensor may use the trademark itself and may also license it to others. Under an exclusive license, the licensor cannot license anyone else and, unless it expressly reserves its right, cannot use the trademark itself. Unless the agreement provides otherwise, the licensee cannot assign its rights or grant a sublicense.

The licensor must take measures to ensure the quality of the goods to be produced or the services to be provided by the licensee; if the licensee fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, the trademark owner may assert the rights arising from the registered trademark against it. In addition, use made with the trademark owner's consent is treated, for the purposes of cancellation for non-use, as use by the trademark owner itself (SMK Art. 9/3); it is therefore important to state the use and recording obligations clearly in the license agreement.

What does Anlar Grup do in this process?

We check the register and the status of the trademark, determine the content required for the assignment or license agreement, complete the documents and submit the recording application to TÜRKPATENT. We then confirm that the register entry has been made and deliver the up-to-date register information to you. To speed up the process, contact us or fill in the quote form. If you are considering acquiring a trademark, we recommend first seeing the risks through a trademark search, and tracking renewal dates with our renewal and tracking service.