The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) has announced that applicants filing international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) are required to pay the international search and preliminary examination fees in accordance with the PCT Fee Tables published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) when TÜRKPATENT is designated as the International Searching Authority (ISA) or the International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA).
In its official announcement, TÜRKPATENT also clarified that the applicable search and preliminary examination fees include Value Added Tax (VAT). The clarification aims to eliminate uncertainty regarding the calculation and payment of official fees for international patent applicants using TÜRKPATENT’s international search and examination services.
The announcement was published in the Turkish Official Gazette dated 13 February 2018 and became effective retroactively from 1 January 2018.
The development is particularly relevant for applicants filing PCT applications through the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and selecting TÜRKPATENT as the competent authority for international search and international preliminary examination procedures. As an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the PCT system, TÜRKPATENT conducts international patentability assessments, including prior art searches and preliminary evaluations regarding novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.
The clarification regarding the inclusion of VAT in the official fees is expected to provide greater transparency for applicants, patent attorneys, and international patent practitioners managing PCT filings involving Türkiye. It also reflects TÜRKPATENT’s continuing efforts to improve procedural clarity and align its practices with international patent administration standards under the WIPO-administered PCT framework.