Reality shows have been popular since the beginning of 2000s and
they still bear the title of most watched TV programs worldwide
including Turkish TVs. These programs, being most watched and most
earner ones, constitute subjects of many disputes between creators,
producers and TV channels.
The question if program formats are accepted as work
under Turkish Copyright Law is an attractive area because of common
foreign TV format licensing and Turkish court decisions relating to
reality shows and similar TV formats.
Turkish Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works ("Law")
regulates the types of Work on numerus clausus principle and it is
not possible to add another work type which is not written
in the Law. The types of intellectual and artistic works stated
under the Law are literary and scientific works; musical works;
works of fine arts and cinematographic works. It is also accepted
in doctrine that the works falling under these regulated
types are not restricted and
