ACT ON INVENTIONS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE DEFENCE OF THE 
COUNTRY , 15.12.1967/551   
 
 
Section 1  
 
An invention which is principally of importance to the defence of the country and which, 
from the point of view of national defence, it is important to keep secret, may under this Act, 
after a patent application has been filed for the invention, by governm ent decision be 
expropriated for public purpose.  
 
A reasonable  compensation  shall  be payable  from State  funds  to the holder  of an invention 
expropriated for public  purpose under subsection 1. Where the amount of the  compensation  is 
not agreed  on, the holder  of the invention  may bring  a separate  claim for compensation in the 
Market Court. Where applicable, the provisions concerning litigation in patent matters shall 
apply in such a case.  
 
The provisions concerning patents or patent applications of this Act shall mutatis mutandis 
apply to utility models or utility model applications. In such cases, section 18 of the Utility 
Model Act shall be applicable in place of the provisions of sections 21 and 22 of the Patents 
Act.  
 
Section 2  
 
If it is obvious tha t an invention is principally of importance to the defence of the country, 
an inventor residing in Finland, or his successor in title, may not apply for or authorise 
another person to apply for a patent for the invention abroad before an application has be en 
filed for a patent for the invention in Finland and before six months have passed from the 
date the patent application was filed here.  
 
If it is obvious that an invention is principally of importance to the defence of the country, 
an inventor residing in Finland, or his successor in title, shall file a European patent 
application within the meaning of the European Patent Convention (Finnish Treaty Series 
8/96) or an international patent application under chapter 3 of the Finnish Patents Act with 
the Fin nish Patent Authority.  
 
Section 3  
 
A person appointed by the Ministry of Defence is authorised to study patent applications 
filed at the National Board of Patents and Registration.  
 
If it is found that an invention is principally of importance to the de fence of the country, the 
provisions of sections 21 and 22 of the Patents Act shall, at the request of the Ministry of 
Defence, not be applicable.  
 
If the Government has not within six months of the filing of the application made a decision 
to expropriate  the invention for public purpose, the processing of the application shall be 
continued in the normal order.  
 For European patent applications and international patent applications the time limit laid 
down in the third subsection shall nevertheless be:  
 
(1) where a European patent application is concerned, three months from the  
date of filing the application with the Patent Authority, or, where priority  
has been claimed, thirteen months from the date of priority claimed; and  
 
(2) where an international  patent application is concerned, three months from  
 
the date of filing of the international application, or, where priority has been claimed, twelve 
months and ten days from the date of priority claimed.  
 
Section 4  
 
Matters relating to inventions refer red to in this Act shall by all authorities be dealt with 
subject to secrecy.  
 
At the request of the Ministry of Defence, applications for patents for inventions referred to 
in section 1 filed by the Ministry or the proper body of the defence establishmen t, shall, 
besides being kept secret, not be entered in the public record either.  
 
Section 5  
 
Patents for inventions which under this Act shall be dealt with subject to secrecy shall be 
granted without complying with the provisions concerning the making a vailable to the 
public of an invention of sections 20 to 22, 24 and 25 of the Patents Act, where prerequisites 
for the grant of a patent otherwise exist.  
 
At the request of the Ministry of Defence, patents referred in the first subsection shall not be 
entered in the public register of patents.  
 
Section 6  
 
In respect of the right of the defence establishment in its capacity as employer to the 
inventions made by persons in its service, the special provisions laid down on the right of an 
employer shall appl y.  
 
Section 7  
 
Anyone who has learned about an invention referred to in this Act may not make use of it or 
disclose what he has learned.  
 
Section 8  
 
Punishment for breach of secrecy obligation provided for in sections 2 and 7 shall be meted 
out pursuant to chapter 38, section 1 or 2 of the Penal Code, unless the act is 3  
punishable under chapter 40, section 5, of the Penal Code or a more severe punish ment is 
provided elsewhere in law.  
 Section 9  
 
Further provisions on the application and implementation of this Act may, where necessary, 
be given by the Government.  
 
Section 10  
 
This Act enters into force on 1 January 1968.