Turkey Announces Compensation Rules For Employee Inventions Made Within Higher Education Institutions

Under Turkey's recently overhauled intellectual property regime, employees in higher education institutions are entitled to a reasonable fee for employee inventions. The fee must be at least one third of the employer's profit from the invention. Details have now been announced to clarify minimum standards, profit and fee calculation, dispute resolution, as well as and related matters.

The Regulation on Inventions of the Employees, the Inventions made in the Higher Education Institutions and Supported by the Public Institutions and Organizations ("Regulation") was published in Official Gazette number 30195 on 29 September 2017, entering into effect the same date.

Employees and employers are free to negotiate the terms of compensation for employee inventions, although contracts must meet the Regulation's minimum standards. Agreements which are disadvantageous and unfair to employees will be deemed invalid.