Legal Environment Regarding IT in Turkey

Intellectual property

A law exists that protects intellectual property such as published materials, music and art, industrial patents and trademarks. This law has been recently revised to cover software as well, and therefore finally bring protection to that so-far widely archaic market. The passing of the law was greatly influenced by Microsoft's entry to Turkey, as one major Microsoft wholesaler's CEO leaded a lobbying movement.

As of September 1995, though, the rate of software piracy was still estimated to be as high as 90%, as compared to 35% in the U.S., 60% in Europe, and 80% in Japan. This widespread piracy of both domestic and foreign computer programs in Turkey is a major drag on increased software sales.

Trans-border data flow

The Turkish government excerts practically no restrictions on the outflow of data from Turkey. The outflow of other valuables such as historic artifacts and rugs, is highly controlled, though. It is very hard for the non-technologically advanced Turkish government to control the outflow or inflow of a matter as intangible as computer data.

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