You report an n11 listing that infringes your trademark through the Marka Koruma Merkezi (Brand Protection Center) at ipr.n11.com. To file a notice, you must first become a member: you sign the membership agreement and send it, together with your signature circular and TÜRKPATENT registration certificate, to mkm@n11.com or to n11 by post. Once membership is approved, you log in with the username and password sent to you and file the notice by completing the form. According to n11, after the notice is assessed, the information and documents it holds about the store concerned are sent to the right holder by email.
Which channel does n11 accept notices through?
n11's own pages point to a single channel: the Brand Protection Center. n11's store FAQ page also states that membership of the center is required to file an infringement notice. The difference from Trendyol's form channel and Hepsiburada's notary and KEP channels is that the notice is filed through an account approved in advance.
Article 12 of the Regulation on Electronic Commerce Intermediary Service Providers and Electronic Commerce Service Providers, however, lists the internal communication system, a notary or KEP, Türkiye's registered electronic mail system, as channels for a complaint. n11's contact page gives the company name as n11 Elektronik Ticaret ve Bilişim Hizmetleri A.Ş., the address as Reşitpaşa Mah. Katar Cad. İTÜ Arı Teknokent 3 Binası Blok No: 4 İç Kapı No: 902 Sarıyer/İstanbul, and the KEP address as n11@hs01.kep.tr. The Brand Protection Center pages we reviewed do not give a separate address for notary or KEP filings; if you plan to use that route, confirm the address with the company or through a lawyer first.
How do you become a member of the Brand Protection Center?
According to the center's "Üyelik Başvurusu" (membership application) tab, the process is:
- The trademark owner or its legal representative downloads the membership agreement from the link on the page and signs it.
- It sends the signed agreement, together with the required documents, to mkm@n11.com by email or by post to the address on n11's contact page.
- Once membership is approved, it logs in with the username and password sent to it.
The center's screens are supported only in the Google Chrome browser. When we checked the agreement link, the page did not display any text; if you cannot reach the agreement, ask for the current version at mkm@n11.com.
Membership is a one-off step, but it needs to be completed before the first infringement. Membership started after an infringement is spotted holds the notice back until it is approved.
Which documents does membership require?
The center's membership tab lists these documents:
- Signing authority: a signature circular for companies, or a signature declaration for sole proprietorships.
- Trademark, patent or design right: the registration and authorization certificate obtained from the Office. The page uses the Office's former name, Türk Patent Enstitüsü (TPE); today it is the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT).
- Rights based on a licence: a document showing that the licence has been registered with the Office.
- Copyright: for musical and cinematographic works, the work operation certificate issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; for scientific and literary works (including software), works of fine art and databases, documents showing ownership of the right.
- Other documents: any other documents and information relating to ownership of the right that are considered necessary for the specific notice.
If a lawyer or trademark attorney will handle the filing, have the power of attorney ready too. The regulation requires a document showing the representative's authority when a complaint is filed through a representative.
What should the notice contain?
The center's form fields become visible after membership. Article 12 of the regulation, however, lists the elements a complaint must contain whatever the channel: the registration certificate, the applicant's identity and contact details, the authority document if a representative is used, the grounds and evidence that the product infringes the right, the web address showing the product, and a statement that the applicant is liable for damage if the information is untrue. An incomplete complaint is not processed.
A few practical points for the evidence file:
- Record the listing and the store. Take the listing's link, title, price and images with a dated screenshot. Under Article 5 of the regulation, a merchant selling on a marketplace must show its trade name, business name or registered trademark, its KEP address and its MERSİS (central registration system) number or tax ID in the area assigned to it. These details go into the record too.
- Write concrete grounds. State clearly that the sign is identical to the registered mark, which classes the registration covers and why the product is not genuine.
- Add a comparison. Side-by-side photos with the genuine product and, where a test purchase was made, photos of the product received and its packaging.
We explain how to record evidence in our article can a screenshot be evidence?
What happens after the notice?
According to n11's Brand Protection Center page, after the notice is assessed, the information and documents n11 holds about the store concerned are sent to the right holder by email, and the necessary support is provided. An older answer on the store FAQ page also states that if a court order, or a written document binding the parties, requiring the sale of the products to be stopped is submitted, the sale will be blocked immediately.
The regulation sets these rules for all marketplaces:
- For a complete complaint, the product is removed within 48 hours at most of the complaint arriving, and the seller and the right holder are notified.
- The seller can object with invoices and supply chain documents. If the objection is clearly justified, the product is republished within 24 hours at most.
- Unless new documents proving the infringement are submitted, a complaint about the same product and the same claim is not processed.
- The right to apply to the courts and administrative authorities is preserved.
How should the store details sent to you be used?
The store details n11 sends to the right holder may include personal data if the seller is a sole proprietor. Article 5 of Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK) allows processing without explicit consent where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or protection of a right. Article 4 of the same law requires data to be processed for specified and legitimate purposes, in a way that is relevant, limited and proportionate to those purposes, and kept only as long as necessary. The right approach is to use this information only to protect your trademark rights, for example in your lawyer's preparation of a cease-and-desist letter or a lawsuit, and to limit access to that work.
Can a genuine but unauthorized sale be reported too?
Under Article 152 of the Industrial Property Law, acts concerning products placed on the market by the right holder or with its consent fall outside the scope of the right; the exception is commercial use of a product that has been altered or impaired. A notice against a store selling genuine goods may come back with the seller's invoice. We explain this distinction in our article on authorized and unauthorized use.
Frequently asked questions
Can I file a notice with n11 without becoming a member?
n11's pages make Brand Protection Center membership a condition for filing. If you want to use the notary and KEP routes listed in the regulation, confirm the addressee's address in advance.
What documents does membership require?
The signed membership agreement, a signature circular for companies or a signature declaration for sole proprietorships, and the TÜRKPATENT registration certificate. For rights based on a licence, a document showing the licence is registered is added.
How quickly is a listing removed?
Under the regulation, within 48 hours at most of a complete complaint reaching the marketplace.
Which browser does the center work in?
According to n11, the Brand Protection Center screens are supported only in Google Chrome.
How does Authex help in this process?
Authex finds the listings that use your brand on marketplaces including n11, documents each finding with the listing address, seller details, timestamp and screenshot, compares it with your authorized seller list, and prepares a draft notice and evidence package. The scope is on the marketplace monitoring page.
Authex does not take legal action, does not remove listings and does not send notices to the Brand Protection Center on your behalf. Membership and notices are handled by the right holder or the lawyer or trademark attorney it authorizes.
This article is for general information. n11's pages, addresses and document requirements can change; check the current pages and the current text of the legislation before filing, and seek advice from a trademark attorney or lawyer in a specific dispute.
Sources
- n11, Marka Koruma Merkezi (Brand Protection Center), in Turkish
- n11, Mağaza Sık Sorulan Sorular (store FAQ), in Turkish
- n11, İletişim (contact page), in Turkish
- Regulation on Electronic Commerce Intermediary Service Providers and Electronic Commerce Service Providers, Official Gazette, 29 December 2022, No. 32058 (Articles 5, 12-14), in Turkish
- Law No. 6563 on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce (Article 9), in Turkish
- Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (Articles 4 and 5), in Turkish
- Industrial Property Law No. 6769 (Article 152), in Turkish
