ACT ON THE FINNISH PATENT AND REGISTRATION OFFICE 
9.8.2013/578  
 
By decision of Parliament, the following is enacted:  
 
Section 1  - Mission  
 
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office furthers technological and economic development 
and collective activities  in Finland and internationally.  
 
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office operates in the administrative branch of the 
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment .  
 
Section 2 - Duties  
 
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office deals with matters conc erning patents, layout -
designs (topographies) of integrated circuits, utility model rights, design rights, trade marks, 
enterprise mortgages, the Trade Register, the Register of Associations, the Foundation 
Register and the supervision of foundations as re ferred to in the Foundations Act (487/2015) , 
the supervision referred to in the Act on Collective Management of Copyright (1494/2016) , 
the publication of annual accounts documents, trade names and the audit supervision referred 
to in the Audit Act (1141/2015) , and provides information services relating to these duties.  
 
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office shall carry out any investigations, experiments, 
monitoring and planning tasks and other tasks that are assigned to it by the Ministry of 
Economic Affairs and Employment or on which separate provisions are laid down.  
 
Further provisions on the duties of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office may be laid 
down by Government Decree.  
 
Section 3 - Management and decision -making powers  
 
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office shall be headed by a Director General appointed 
by the Government. The Director General shall be responsible for the development and 
effectiveness of the Office’s operations and for the achievement of objectives.  
 
Matters to be decided by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office shall be considered by 
the Director General unless under law or the rules of procedure, they are to be considered by 
another official.  
 
The Director General shall decide on the organisation  of the Finnish Patent and Registration 
Office and approve its rules of procedure.  
 
In individual cases, the Director General may take over a matter from a subordinate for 
consideration.  
 
Further provisions on management and decision -making powers may be l aid down by 
Government decree.  
 Section 4 (290/2015)  
Section 4 has been repealed by Act 290/2015.  
 
Section 5 -  Advisory Council  
 
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office may have an Advisory Council which is tasked 
with supporting the Office’s strategic planning and fostering cooperation between the Office 
and its stakeholders.  
 
The Advisory Council shall be appointed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and 
Employment for a term of three years at a time. Provisions on the composition of the Coun cil 
may be laid down by Government decree.  
 
Section 6 - Appeal of decisions of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office in matters 
concerning industrial property rights and the Trade Register  
 
Decisions of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office may be appealed to the Market Court 
in the manner provided in the Administrative Judicial Procedure Act (586/19 96) when:  
1) the decision resolves a patent application or another matter concerning a patent;  
2) the decision resolves an application for registration of a design or another matter 
concerning a design;  
3) the decision resolves an application for registrat ion of a layout -design of an integrated 
circuit or another matter concerning layout -design;  
4) the decision resolves an application for registration of a utility model or another matter 
concerning a utility model;  
5) the decision resolves an application fo r registration of a trade mark or a collective mark or 
another matter concerning a trade mark or collective mark;  
6) the decision denies registration of a notification filed with the Trade Register.  
 
Appeal against a decision referred to in subsection 1 sh all be filed within 60 days of service 
of the decision.  
 
Section 7 - Appeal of decisions of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office in other matters  
 
Decisions of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office in matters other than those referred to 
in sect ion 6 may be appealed to the Helsinki Administrative Court in the manner provided in 
the Administrative Judicial Procedure Act. A decision of the Administrative Court may only 
be appealed with leave to appeal granted by the Supreme Administrative Court (72 /2017).  
 
Separate provisions are laid down on appeal of a decision of the Finnish Patent and 
Registration Office in a matter referred to in the Enterprise Mortgage Act (634/1984) . 
 
Section 8 - Limitations of right of appeal  
 
A party which has not filed opposition to or a claim against a granted patent or a registered 
trade mark or design within the deadline provided may not appeal the decision issued in the 
matter.  
 A party which has not filed a claim for invalidation of the registration of a utility model or a 
registration of the layout -design of an integrated circuit may not appeal the decision issued in 
the matter.  
 
Section 9 - Entry into force  
 
This Act enters into f orce on 1 September 2013.  
 
This Act repeals the Act on the National Board of Patents and Registration (575/1992) . Any 
reference elsewhere in legislation to the repeale d Act or its provisions or a Decree issued 
pursuant thereto shall be considered a reference to this Act or its provisions.  
 
Decisions by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office made before this Act enters into 
force shall be appealed in observance of th e provisions in force at the time of this Act’s entry 
into force.