Selda Arkan
She is the founder of ALFA PATENT in 1997.
She worked as a patent attorney trainee in a private practice firm first in Brussels from 1985 to 1992 and then in Istanbul in another firm. In 1997 she qualified as a European Patent Attorney as the first person before the accession of Turkey to the EPC and remained as the sole EPA from Turkey for 14 years. She is also a chartered Patent and Trade Mark agent before the Turkish IP authority (1996-…) and holds a certificate of Hatsumei Kyokai by the JPO, JIII and AOTS (1997).
She has a BSc. degree in chemistry from the Middle East Technical University (1981) in Ankara and post-graduation specializations on degradation of polymers with Prof. Geuskens (1981-1983) and on physical-chemistry with Prof. Hurwitz (1983-1985) at the ULB in Brussels-Belgium.
Her daily practice revolves around litigations, freedom-to-operate analyses and preparing legal and technical advices but also some drafting and prosecution work. She speaks many languages:
- Excellent in Turkish, English, French, German and Spanish (registered sworn translator);
- Good in Italian, Dutch and Portuguese, but excellent comprehension of technical texts;
- Smattering in Japanese.
Her professional roles include:
- Member of epi (1997-…)
- Ongoing member of the EPO Disciplinary Board of Appeal (2019-2023);
- Ongoing member of the epi Counsel (2000-…),
- Former member of the epi Nomination Committee (2017-2019),
- Former member of the epi Professional Conduct Committee (2014-2018),
- Former member of the epi Professional Qualification Committee (2000-2008),
- Former member of the epi board (2000-2017),
- Former member of the epi Presidium (2008-2011) as Vice President,
- Member of FICPI (1997-…),
- Founding member of FICPI Turkey (2015-…),
- Ongoing board member of FICPI Turkey (2017-)
- Member of AIPPI (1997-…),
- Founding member of AIPPI-Turkey (2008-…),
- Ongoing member of the AIPPI-Turkey disciplinary board (2008-…),
- Member of VPP (Vereinigung von Fachleuten des gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes),
- Member of the Patent and Trademark Agents’ Sector Assembly of TOBB (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey) since its foundation.
Her academic responsibilities include:
- Coordinator in Istanbul-Turkey since 2008 for CEIPI -Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies at University Robert Schuman in Strasbourg-France.
Her notable cases:
The last ten years handling mainly litigations requiring complex technical understanding including not only chemicals and pharmaceuticals but also mechanical cases.
