Athens is trying with a targeted campaign to block the recognition of the Turkish brand in the US
In the correspondence of the Greek embassy in Washington with the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published by “K”, the actions of Greece are reflected.
The post-earthquake recession in the “hard” Greek-Turkish core has led to a regime of absolute silence, with all disputes being referred to discussions that are estimated to take place after the elections, most likely after the summer. Although a few days ago both Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were quick to remind us that the current low-key framework will not last long, it is assumed in Athens that by September we will at least arrive without turbulence.
In the meantime, however, the two sides of the Aegean will continue to compete for the tourist season, the revenues of which, especially in this particular phase, are valuable. In recent months, Ankara has tried to advertise the Turkish coasts in the Aegean as the “Turkish Aegean” with the well-known trademark “Turkaegean”, which is widely used, as a request for its registration has been filed in the USA, while it has already been granted in the EU. E. In Athens there is now reasonable hope that the process of registering the “Turkaegean” trademark in the US may be delayed even until 2025, as it is estimated that the actions undertaken by Greek diplomacy may yield some results. This, of course, remains to be seen.
The Greek side has hired Steptoe, a firm of international reputation in commercial arbitration or rights claims.
But at what stage is this particular case at the moment? Greece's diplomatic mission in Washington has been engaged in a tough and marathon fight, with the experienced ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulou as the most important cog in an effort to block the recognition of “Turkaegean” as a trademark for use in the US. In the correspondence of the Greek embassy in Washington from January until a few days ago at the end of March with the competent Ministry of Development and, of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which “K” brings to the public today, certain details of a case emerge that may judged at the end of July.
For its representation, the Greek side has hired Steptoe, which is a house of international reputation and long experience in commercial arbitration cases or asserting rights against state authorities. Although Steptoe's total fee is unknown, an order of magnitude can be inferred from the fact that the Greek side, as represented by the Industrial Property Organization (OBI), has commissioned a study from Steptoe at a cost estimated to 70,000 dollars, with the aim of establishing that the Turks are misleading the American authorities with the term “Turkaegean”, with the alien goal of influencing American public opinion at the expense of Greece. In this context, it is requested to hire a competent linguist.
Of course, it has also been proposed to investigate the possibility that the Greek side should request the opinion of two universities of international prestige, namely the British historians David Abulafia (Cambridge University) and Mark Mazauer (Columbia University), who – obviously – will be scouted in order to contribute with the their knowledge. David Abulafia's “The Great Sea” in particular, also known to the general public, is a scientific work on the time of the Mediterranean, with several interesting aspects for the Greek public, such as the assessment that the war that led to the Asia Minor Catastrophe was basically a fratricide conflict. Mark Mazauer's work is, of course, more widely known in Greece.
In the file prepared on behalf of Athens by the American company, excerpts of various recent statements by Recep Tayyip Erdogan are included, with the aim of strengthening the Greek argument that the attempt to secure the “Turkaegean” brand is an act of geopolitical expediency on the Turkish side.
Around the middle of February, the competent body of the US Trademark Office (Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office – USPTO) requested from the Greek side more clarifications in relation to the opposition application filed on its behalf by the Steptoe. The company – according to what Ms. Papadopoulou reports in Athens – has assessed as positive the reaction of the USPTO to request clarifications, as “it indicates that the initial arguments about misleading the consumer and bad faith on the part of Turkey were deemed rather valid” .
In the previous discussions, the Turkish side has rejected Greece's specific argument in an oblique way. And this since, as can be seen in the passage highlighted by “K” today, the assessment is formulated that “the opposition politicizes a simple trademark registration process, trying to introduce territorial disputes between two nations before a completely incompetent mechanism”. And, as Ms. Papadopoulou continues in her information cable – with a total of 29 pages of the entire file -, the Turks claim that “the term 'Turkaegean' is not misleading and has already been registered as a trademark in the EU.” and in fact without raising any objections from the side of Greece”.
Actions in the EU as well
It is worth noting that the Greek side in the previous period proceeded with an opposition request to the competent body of the European Commission (European Union Intellectual Property Office-EUIPO). In fact, an attempt has been made from Athens to contact the lawyers who handle the matter in America with those who represent the Greek side in the case, so that the argumentation is the same on both sides of the Atlantic. What will happen; It is still too early to answer. However, as can be seen from the way the Turkish authorities are handling the issue, “Turkaegean” is already at the top of the campaign for the tourist season for the lacy shores on the other side of the Aegean…
