Assessment of Novelty and Distinctive Character in Turkey

Novelty and distinctive character are the conditions of protection for a registered design in Turkey. This study investigates the ways in which novelty and distinctive character are interpreted and assessed by the parties actively involved in the assessment process –judges, court experts, the Turkish Patent Institute experts, attorneys and design agents. Face-to- face interviews were conducted with 51 participants from these parties. The study includes these evaluations and a set of suggestions for developing the assessment guide for the design registration system in Turkey.