Copyright and management issues in Turkey

As transforming to a knowledge-based structure, the dynamics of the European Union’s economy relies on knowledge and investments in knowledge creation. 1 Knowledge and technology are very important tools of export of the European Union and the main export markets are the countries which have not improved themselves as high industrial economies, such as Turkey. This is the reason the European Union became one of the main driving forces and signatories of the main agreements on Intellectual Property Rights.
Turkey, as a party to the Customs Union and a candidate member to the European Union, has been increasingly improving its alignment with the acquis communautaire since the accessing negotiations with the EU were opened in October 2005. Consequently, considering the transformation of its economy from being state-directed to a free market, it has started to build effective system of protection of copyrights equivalent to the developed countries’ systems.

The rise of information and communication technologies has transformed the ongoing issue of copyright to protection of copyright on the internet. Copyrights and related rights used in the electronic environment are in scope of the Copyright Act in Turkey. However no comprehensive measure against infringement is within the context of the Copyright Act.

Whist the above mentioned improving alignment with the European legislative framework and in particular with that of the copyrights, Turkey still needs to improve its effective enforcement mechanisms.
In my speech I will demonstrate the case of Turkey on copyrights and online models while discussing the domestic law on copyrights, its international relations and the collective managements of copyrights within Turkey. Further the implications of protection of copyrights for Turkey will be discussed. Finally the harmonization with the EU will be evaluated and suggestions for better protection will be exhibited.