Turkey Should Give Further Efforts to
Protect Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights
 
International Investors Association YASED calls attention to the results of
the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 of the World Economic Forum

New data released on “Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights”, which exhibit Turkey’s ranking in the world on this area, and which International Investors Association YASED often calls attention to among its priority issues, reveal that our country’s report card is not good. The fact that Turkey is among the lowest ranking countries in the evaluation made for intellectual and industrial property rights in 133 countries in the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 of the World Economic Forum, shows once again that urgent measures should be taken on the issue.

New data issued by the World Economic Forum on “Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights”, highlighted by International Investors Association YASED as one of its priority areas which need improvement for attracting international direct investment to the country, has revealed that Turkey’s report card is not good. 
 
One can examine Turkey’s “Global Competitiveness Index” in detail on the pages reserved for the data collected and evaluations made for the country in the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 of the Forum, and also see where Turkey ranks with regard to different competitiveness constituents. Among the 133 countries evaluated in the report, Turkey ranks 89th in “Property rights” and hardly holds the 105th position in “Intellectual Property Protection”.

These data, given in the “Institutions” pillar of the Index indicate that Turkey has “competitive disadvantages” and what is more, none of the data disclosed in this section for Turkey display any “competitive advantage”. Accordingly, our country ranks 95th in “Favoritism in decisions of government officials”, 108th in “Organized crime”, 125th in “Efficacy of corporate boards” and thus definitely fails in the Institutions pillar.

The fact that Turkey ranks 74th among 133 countries in “Utility Patents” ranking in the “Innovation” pillar of the same index is yet another indication of our disadvantageous position in intellectual property rights. There are 7 data sub-pillars that constitute the Innovation pillar of the report. Whereas Turkey displays a “competitive advantage” by ranking 46th in “Capacity for Innovation” pillar, the country is disadvantageous with regard to the other 6 sub-pillars.

Deputy Chairman of YASED, who is the Board Member responsible for the IPR issue Dr. Mete Hüsemoğlu states that “all these data and evaluations have confirmed once again that the country is compelled to take urgent action regarding the “pending” laws and regulations on the Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights issue.”

In this context, Dr. Mete Hüsemoğlu draws attention to the requirement that “the legislative actions to be taken in connection with industrial rights - in particular the draft acts on trademarks and patents - should comply with the international commitments of our country and should not include any provisions that would amend the current legislation “backwards”, and that urgent steps should be taken for solving the existing problems by fighting copyright violations, counterfeit and contraband commercial goods.”