WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
9 February 2007 
 (07-0604) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:   English/ 
 anglais/  inglés 
 
  
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PR OPERTY LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
NOTIFIED UNDER ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
 
FINLAND
 
  The present document repr oduces the consolidated text
1 of the Patents Decree 26.9.1980/669 
as amended up to 2006/144 incl., notified by Finland under Article 63.2 of the Agreement (see 
document IP/N/1/FIN/2). 
 
 Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce 
  
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONSACRÉES À 
LA PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIÉES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
 
FINLANDE
 
  Le présent document contient le texte actualisé
1 du Décret 26.9.1980/669 sur les brevets, 
modifié jusqu'en 2006 (2006/144) inclusivement, notifié  par la Finlande au titre de l'article 63:2 de 
l'Accord (voir le document IP/N/1/FIN/2). 
 
 Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio 
 
 
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA 
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD 
DEL PÁRRAFO 2 DEL ARTÍCULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
 
FINLANDIA
 
 
 En el presente documento se reproduce el texto1 refundido del Decreto sobre patentes 
N° 26.9.1980/669 y sus modificaciones hasta 2006 ( 2006/144) inclusive, notificado por Finlandia en 
virtud de lo dispuesto en el párrafo 2 del artícul o 63 del Acuerdo (véase el documento IP/N/1/FIN/2). 
                                                      
1 In English only. The text is available for co nsultation by interested Delegations at the WTO 
Secretariat in Finnish and Swedish./En anglais seulement.  Les délégations intéressées peuvent consulter le texte 
en finnois et suédois au Secrétariat de l'OMC./En inglés solamente.  Las delegaciones interesadas podrán 
consultar en la Secretaría de la OMC el texto en finlandés y sueco. IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 2  
 
  Patents Decree 26.9.1980/669 (Unofficial translation) 
 
(Amendments up to 2006/144 included) 
 
 
Patent Application and Record of Applications 
 
Section 1 
Finnish patent applications shall be filed with  the National Board of Patents and Registration 
of Finland (the Patent Office).  International applications designa ting Finland shall be filed with an authority or international 
organization that is a receivi ng Office authorized under the Pate nt Cooperation Treaty done at 
Washington on June 19, 1970, and its Regulations . Sections 45 to 51 contain provisions on 
the Patent Office acting as a receiving Office.  The provisions in this Decree concerning patent applications shall only apply, unless 
otherwise specified, to:  (1) Finnish patent applications;  (2) international patent applica tions pursued in Finland under S ection 31 of the Patents Act or 
accepted for examination under Section 38 of that Act; and  (3) European patent applications converted in to national applications  under Section 70 s of 
the Patents Act. (15.2.1996/104)  Section 2  (13.7.2000/674) 
 Finnish patent applications shall consist of an application document and accompanying 
documents.  The application document shall be signed by the applicant or his representative and shall 
state:  (1) the name, domicile and address of the app licant and, if the appl icant has appointed a 
representative, the name, domicile and address of the representative; 
 (2) the name and address of the inventor;  (3) a concise and factual title for the inve ntion to which the application relates; 
 (4) if a patent is applied for by several persons  jointly, a statement as to which of them is 
entitled or, if they have appointed a representa tive, whom they have jointly authorised to 
receive communications from the Patent  Office on behalf of  all applicants; 
 (5) a statement, where appropriate, that the application includes a deposit of a biological 
material under Section 8a  of the Patents Act; and  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 3 
 
 
   
(6) a list of the documents accompanying the application document.  The following documents shall acco mpany the application document: 
 (1) a description of the invention together with  the drawings, if any, needed to understand the 
invention, claims and an abstract;  (2) if the applicant is not the inventor or ha s not made the invention on his own, a statement 
establishing the applicant's title to the invention.  The representative appointed by the applican t has to prove his authorisation, unless the 
representative has been given author isation in the appl ication document. 
 The prescribed application fee shall be paid when filing an application. 
 
Section 3 
 
If the document is not written in one of the languages laid down by the fifth paragraph of Section 8 of the Patents Act, the applicant sha ll also submit to the Patent Office a translation 
of the document into Finnish or Swedish. For a document other than a description, an abstract 
or claims or for the text of the description or  claims of a Finnish a pplication not included in 
the basic documents under the firs t paragraph of Section 2l, the Patent Office may waive the 
requirement for a translation or may accept a tran slation into a language other than Finnish or 
Swedish.  The Patent Office may take up an application fo r processing before a translation thereof into 
one of the languages laid down by the first paragraph has been submitted. The translation has to be submitted before the application under S ection 22 of the Patents Act becomes available 
to the public. The Patent Office shall specify th e prerequisites under which the application is 
taken up for processing before the tran slation has been submitted. (21.3.1997/246) 
 
Section 4 
 
Subsections 1-3 have be en repealed (13.7.2000/674). 
 Regulations on further requirements concerning the form of the documents and the number of copies to be filed with the Pa tent Office by the applicant shall be given by the Patent Office. 
 
Section 5 
 
To obtain a novelty search as referred to in S ection 9 of the Patents Act, the applicant shall 
make a written request within three months of the filing date of the application or, where 
applicable, of the date on which it is deemed to  have been filed, to th e Patent Office and shall 
pay the fee prescribed by the Searching Author ity. Where the applicatio n is not drawn up in a 
language acceptable to the Searching Author ity, the request shall be accompanied by a 
translation of the application into a la nguage prescribed by the Patent Office. 
 IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 4  
 
  If the search referred to in th e first paragraph can be carried out by more than one authority 
and if the applicant wishes to specify which of such authorities is to carry out the search, he shall name that authority in his request.  The request shall be deemed withdrawn if, on expiration of the time limit laid down in the first paragraph, the application and the translat ion do not satisfy the formal requirements for 
an international application.  
Section 6 
 
The Patent Office shall enter on the application the date on which it was received at the Patent Office.  
Section 7 
 
The Patent Office shall keep a record of patent applications filed. The record shall be accessible to the public.  The following particulars must be entered in the record for each application: 
 (1) the serial number in the record of the appl ication and the classes in which the application 
has been classified;  (2) the name of the examiner processing the application;  (3) the name, domicile and address of the applicant;  (4) if the applicant has appoint ed a representative, the name, domicile and address of the 
representative;  (5) the name and address of the inventor;  (6) the title of the invention;  (7) a statement as to whether the application is  a Finnish patent applic ation, an international 
patent application or a European  patent application which has been converted into a national 
application; (15.2.1996/104)  (8) if the application is a Finnish patent applicat ion, the date of receipt and the date of filing; 
(16.2.2006/144) 
 
(9) if the application is an international patent  application, the internat ional filing date and the 
date on which the application was pursued under Section 31 of the Patents Act or was filed 
under Section 38 of that Act;   IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 5 
 
 
  (9a) if the application has been converted from  a European patent application into a national 
application, the filing date in accordance wi th the European Patent Convention (Finnish 
Treaty Series 8/96) and the date  on which the application was received by the Patent Office 
for conversion; (15.2.1996/104)  (10) if the priority of an earlier application is claimed, the country where the earlier application given as the basis for the priority was filed, the filing date of that application and its serial number;  (11) if the application results from division or  separation, the serial number of the parent 
application;  (12) if a new application results from the divisi on or separation of the a pplication, the serial 
number of the application that ha s been divided or separated out; 
 (13) if the application has been made availa ble to the public under the third paragraph of 
Section 22 of the Patents Act, the date on which it became available;  (14) where the application is an internatio nal application, the international application 
number;  (14a) if the application has been converted from a European patent application into a national 
application, the application number of th e European patent application; (15.2.1996/104) 
 (15) the documents filed and fees pa id in respect of the application; 
 (16) decisions taken in re spect of the application. 
 
Section 8 
 
The Patent Office prepares a weekly list of patent  applications that have been filed. The list 
must contain for each application the particulars listed under items (1), (3), (5) to (11), (14) 
and (14a) of section 7(2).  Subsections 2 and 3 have been repealed (16.2.2006/144). 
 This list must be accessible to the public on payment of a prescribed fee. (16.2.2006/144) 
 
Section 9 
 
Where notice is given that an invention for whic h a patent has been sought has been assigned 
to another person, the latter pers on shall be recorded as the applicant in the record of 
applications only if proof of the assignment is furnished. 
 IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 6  
 
  Priority 
 
Section 10 
 
To enjoy priority under section 6 of the Patent s Act, the applicant mu st claim priority in 
writing within 16 months of the date on which the first application given as a basis for the 
priority was filed, simultaneously stating wher e and when the application was filed and, as 
soon as possible, its serial number. The appli cant may, within the time limit laid down above 
and under the same conditions, add or correct a pr iority claim. If the addition or correction 
causes a change in the priority date, the date may be notified within 16 months from either 
the original or the changed priority date, wh ichever 16-month period expires first. If the 16-
month time limit has expired, but fo ur months have not yet passed from the filing date of the 
application, the applicant may submit the notification within these four months. 
(16.2.2006/144)  In the case of an intern ational application, the priority clai m must be made in the application 
itself, stating the place and date the application gi ven as the basis for priority was filed and its 
serial number. The applicant may, however, add a priority claim or corr ect it by notifying the 
receiving authority or the International Bureau of th e World Intellectual Property 
Organization of this within 16 months of the pr iority date. If the addition or correction causes 
a change in the priority date, the date may be notified within 16 months from either the original or the changed priority date, whiche ver 16-month period expires first. If the 16-
month time limit has expired, but fo ur months have not yet passed from the filing date of the 
application, the applicant may submit the notification within these four months. 
(16.2.2006/144)  The priority claim referred to in subsection (1) and (2) may not, however, be added or corrected after the applica tion has become available to the public. (16.2.2006/144) 
 Where the application is divided under Section 22, a claim to prio rity in respect of the parent 
application also applies, without separate re quest, to the new application resulting from 
division.  
Section 11 
 
An applicant who has claimed priority must, with in 16 months of the date for which priority 
is claimed, file with the Patent Office a certif icate issued by the authority with which the 
application for which priority is claimed was filed, stating the filing date of the priority application and the applicant's name, and also a copy of the application cer tified by that same 
authority. The copy must be filed in the form pr escribed by the Patent Office. However, for 
an international application, th e certificate shall be  filed only after the Patent Office has 
issued the corresponding official action. For such  application the prior ity document may also 
be filed in accordance with Ru le 17.1 of the Regulations under  the Patent Cooperation Treaty 
with the International Bureau of the World In tellectual Property Organization or with the 
authority that received the application, or a request may be made to such la tter authority to 
forward the priority document to the International Bureau. (16.2.2006/144) 
  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 7 
 
 
  The Patent Office may grant an exemption from the obligation to file the certificate and the 
copy referred to in the first paragraph.  Where a copy of an application that is the basis for the priority of an international application has been filed with the International Bureau referred to in the first paragraph, the Patent 
Office may only require a copy and a translatio n of such copy in accordance with Rule 17.2 
of the Regulations under th e Patent Cooperation Treaty. 
 
Section 12 
 
Priority may only be based on the first applic ation in which the invention was disclosed. 
 If the person who filed the first application or  his successor in title has filed a subsequent 
application with the same patent authority, re lating to the same invention, the subsequent 
application may be cited as a basis for priority, provided that at the time of filing of the later 
application the earlier application was wit hdrawn, dismissed, or rejected without having 
become available to the public and without there being any rights subsisting, and had not 
served as a basis for priority. Where priority has been obtained on the basis of the subsequent 
application, the prior applica tion may no longer serve as a basis for claiming priority. 
 Subsection 3 has been repealed (21.3.1997/246). 
 
Section 13 
 
Priority may also be obtained for a part of an application. 
 An application may claim priority deriving from several earlier applications even where they 
relate to different countries.  
Claims  (14.6.1985/505) 
 
Section 14 
 
The claims shall contain:  (1) the title of the invention;  (2) a statement identifying the art in relation to which the invention is new (prior art), where necessary; and  
(3) a statement of the new and charac teristic features of the invention. 
 Each claim may relate to one invention only.  Where possible, the invention shall relate to one of the following categories: product, 
apparatus, process or use.  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 8  
 
  A claim may not contain any matter irrelevant to the invention di sclosed therein or irrelevant 
to the exclusive right claimed by the applicant.  
Section 15 
 
An application may contain more than one cla im. Where the application includes more than 
one claim, they shall be arrang ed and numbered consecutively. 
 A claim may be independent or dependent. A dependent claim is a claim that relates to an 
embodiment of the invention disclosed in an other claim of the application and which, 
therefore, comprises all the features of th at claim. All other claims are independent. 
 One or more dependent claims may relate to  one claim. A dependent claim may refer to 
several preceding claims. It sh all begin with a reference to a preceding claim and shall state 
the additional features characterizing the invention.  Section 16  (26.6.1992/583) 
 Where an application contains several inventio ns they shall be interdependent. Inventions 
shall be deemed to be interdependent, if there is a technical connection between all of them in 
that the inventions have, in whole or in part, the same or similar special technical 
characteristics. The term special technica l characteristics shall mean the technical 
characteristics contributed by each single inven tion going, in considering the invention as a 
whole, beyond the state of the art.  The question whether the inventio ns are interdependent shall be determined irrespective of 
whether they are stated in separate patent cl aims or as alternatives  in a single claim. 
 
Description  (14.6.1985/505) 
 
Section 17 
 
The description may only contain subject matter that assists in understanding the invention.  
Where a newly-coined word or a technical term that is not gene rally accepted has to be used, 
such term shall be explained. The designations  and units of measur ement may not depart 
from those in general use in the Nordic countries.  Where the application includes a deposit of a biological materi al under Section 8a of the 
Patents Act, the applicant shall as an appendix to the applicati on give all relevant information 
regarding the characteristics of the biological material that is available to him. 
 
Section 17 a  (14.6.1985/505) 
 Deposits under the first paragraph of Section 8 a of the Patents Act shall be made with an 
institution that is an intern ational depositary authority under the Treaty on th e International 
Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (the Budapest Treaty) done at Budapest on April 28, 1977, or with anothe r depositary authority 
recognized by the European Patent Office. (15.2.1996/104)  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 9 
 
 
   
Deposits shall be made in accordance with the Budapest Treaty.  The Patent Office shall keep a list of the institutions that are international depositary 
authorities under th e Budapest Treaty. 
 
Section 17 b 
 
Where biological material has been deposited, th e applicant must inform the Patent Office in 
writing, within 16 months of the filing date of th e application or, where pr iority is claimed, of 
the date of the claimed priority, of the instit ution with which the deposit has been made and 
the access code given to the deposit by that in stitution. For international applications the 
information may be submitted, within the same tim e limits, to the International Bureau of the 
World Intellectual Propert y Organization. (16.2.2006/144) 
 Where the applicant requests th at the application documents be  made available to the public 
earlier than provided for in the first and second paragraphs of Section 22 of the Patents Act, 
the information referred to in the first paragr aph shall be submitted, at  the latest, together 
with the request. Where the a pplicant requests earl y publication of an international 
application under Article 21(2)(b) of the Patent  Cooperation Treaty, the information shall be 
submitted, at the latest, together with the request for publication. 
 If the deposit has been transferred from one international depositary authority to another 
under Rule 5.1 of the Regulations  under the Budapest Treaty, th e applicant shall notify the 
Patent Office of the transfer and of the new access code for the deposit.  The Patent Office may require a copy of the rece ipt for the deposit issued by the institution as 
proof of the information referred to in the first and third paragraphs. 
 
Section 17 c 
 
A new deposit as referred to in the second paragr aph of Section 8a of the Patents Act shall be 
made in accordance with the provisions for new deposits under the Budapest Treaty.  The new deposit shall be made within three months of the date the depositor received 
notification from the international depositary au thority that samples of  the previous deposit 
can no longer be furnished. Where the institu tion has ceased to act as an international 
depositary authority for the kind of  biological material to which the deposit belonged or if it 
has ceased to fulfill its ob ligations under the Budapest Tr eaty and the depositor has not 
received notification to such effect within six months of the announcement thereof published 
by the International Bureau, a new deposit may ne vertheless be made within nine months of 
the said published announcement. As far as ot her depositary institutions are concerned, the 
period of time for making the de posit stated above begins once the European Patent Office 
has published a corresponding a nnouncement of the matter. 
 Within four months of making th e new deposit, the depositor shall submit to the Patent Office 
a copy of the receipt issued fo r the new deposit by the institution. However, if the time limit 
laid down in the first or second paragraph of Section 17b expires at a later date, the receipt IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 10  
 
  may be submitted within such later time limit. When submitting the receipt, the number of 
the application or patent to which the deposit relates shall be stated. 
 
Abstract  (14.6.1985/505) 
 
Section 18  
 
The abstract of a Finnish appli cation shall be based on the descri ption and claims as set out in 
the documents that constitute the basic docum ents pursuant to the first paragraph of 
Section 21 or the first paragra ph of Section 24. The abstract shall contain the title of the 
invention and shall be drafted with sufficient clarity to disclose th e technical problem to 
which the invention relates, the principles of  the solution provided by the invention and the 
primary field in which the invention is to be used. The final wording of the abstract shall, where possible, be determined before the applic ation is made available to the public under the 
second paragraph of Section 22 of the Patents Act.  Where an international a pplication or a European patent a pplication converted into a national 
application contains an abstract confirmed by the International Searching Authority or the 
European Patent Office, the wording of that abst ract shall be accepted. Where this is not the 
case, the Patent Office shall also confirm the abst ract in such application. In the latter case, 
the provisions of the first paragr aph shall be applicable. (15.2.1996/104) 
 
Amendments to Applications 
 
Section 19 
 
Claims may not be amended to include su bject matter not disclosed in a document 
constituting a basic document unde r the first or second paragraph of Section 21 or the first 
paragraph of Section 24. Where a claim is amended to add new f eatures, the applicant shall at 
the same time state where those new features  are to be found in the basic documents. 
 Once the Patent Office has issued a novelty sear ch report, no claim di sclosing an invention 
that is independent of the inve ntion disclosed in the previous claims may be included in the 
same application.  For international applications, no novelty search report shall be issued before the period of 
time laid down in Section 52b has expire d, unless the applicant agrees thereto. 
(14.6.1985/505)  An applicant may make amendments or additions  to the description and drawings only where 
they are necessary according to Section 8 of th e Patents Act. Such amendments or additions 
may not make a claim encompass matter other than  that which has a counterpart in the basic 
documents.  
Section 20 
 
Unless otherwise permitted by the Patent Office, amendments or additions to the claims shall 
be made by filing a new document setti ng out all the claims in sequence.  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 11 
 
 
   
Section 21 
 
For the purposes of this Decree, the basic docum ent for a Finnish patent application, a patent 
application to be taken up for processing under Section 38 of the Patent s Act and a European 
patent application converted in to a national application shall be deemed to consist of the 
Finnish or Swedish language de scription, with drawings, if a ny, and the claims contained in 
the application as filed or as deemed to have been filed. If those documents were not included 
in the application at that time, the first Finni sh or Swedish language description and claims 
subsequently filed shall be deemed to constitu te the basic document if the content of those 
documents clearly corresponds to the content of the documents held by the Patent Office at 
that time. (15.2.1996/104)  The basic document for an international appl ication pursued under Section 31 of the Patents 
Act shall be deemed to consist of:  (1) where a translation is required to pursue the application, the translat ion of the description, 
drawings and claims filed under Section 31 of the Patents Act, including any amendments 
made before the time limit laid dow n in Section 52b has expired; or 
 (2) where the application was drafted in Finnis h or Swedish, the copy of the description, 
drawings and claims filed under Sect ion 31 of the Patents Act. (14.6.1985/505) 
 If, at the time of filing an appl ication, it is stated that an application for protection of the 
invention has been filed with a foreign patent authority, a subs equently filed certified copy of 
the foreign application shall, provided that th e filing date and serial number of the foreign 
application have been indicated, be deemed to have been filed with the Patent Office 
simultaneously with the filing of the app lication with the Finnish Patent Office. 
 
Division and Separation 
 
Section 22  (21.3.1997/246) 
 If more than one invention has been disclosed in the basic documents, the applicant may divide the application into more than one a pplication. Division may only be made before a 
notice under the first paragraph of Section 19 of the Patents Act has been given. In such case, 
a new application relating to an  invention divided from the original application (parent 
application) shall, at the applicant's request, be deemed to have been filed at the same time as 
the parent application.  
Section 23 
 
If, as a result of an addition to  the description or claims, or in  some other way, the application 
has been caused to disclose an invention that was not disclosed in the basic documents, a new 
application relating to such i nvention, filed by separation fr om the original application 
(parent application), may, at the applicant's reque st, be deemed to have been filed on the date 
when the document disclosing the inventi on was received by the Patent Office. 
 IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 12  
 
  Separation may only be made before a notice u nder the first paragraph of Section 19 of the 
Patents Act has been given. In an applica tion made by separation, protection can only be 
claimed for subject matter that was disclosed in the documents of the parent application when 
the new document was filed. (21.3.1997/246)  
Section 24 
 
In the event of division or separation, th e description, with accompanying drawings, and 
claims filed at the same time as the application document of the new application shall be deemed to constitute the basic document.  A new application may be considered to result  from division or separation only if this is 
evident from the application when filed. The seri al number of the parent application shall be 
stated in such divisional or separated application. 
 
Availability to the Public 
 
Section 25 
 
If the documents of a patent application, under the second or th ird paragraph of Section 22 of 
the Patents Act, have become ava ilable to the public prior to the grant of a patent, the abstract 
shall be printed as soon as its final wording has been determin ed. The Patent Office may also 
decide to print other parts of the application together with th e abstract. These documents shall 
be available to any person on payment of the prescribed fee.  The announcement under section 22(4) of the Pate nts Act must state the serial number and 
classification of the application, it s date of receipt and the filing date, the title of the invention 
and the name and address of th e applicant and of the inventor. Where priority has been 
claimed, the announcement must also state where the relevant prior ap plication was filed, 
together with the filing date and serial number of such prior application. If the application 
includes a deposit of a biological material, this must be stated in the announcement. If the 
applicant has requested under sec tion 22(7) of the Patents Act th at samples of the biological 
material be issued only to a special expert, this  fact must also be stated in the announcement. 
(16.2.2006/144)  If the translation of the description or claims in an international application has been amended 
within the time limit laid down in Section 52b, but after the documents have become 
available to the public, an announcement sh all be published of such amendment. 
 
Section 25 a 
 
A request made under the first sentence of the eighth paragraph of Section 22 of the Patents 
Act to obtain a sample of a deposit shall be fo rmulated as prescribed in Rule 11 of the 
Regulations under the Budapest Treaty.  A person wishing to obtain a sample shall gi ve an undertaking to the applicant or the 
proprietor of the patent to the effect that  no sample containing the deposited biological 
material or any material obtained from it will be used for other than experimental purposes  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 13 
 
 
  and that no sample containing the deposited biologi cal material or any material obtained from 
it will be made available to anyone else be fore a final decision has been given on the 
application or, if a patent has been granted, be fore the patent has expired, unless the applicant 
or the proprietor of the patent explicitly waives this undertaking. 
 Subsection 3 has been repealed (21.3.1997/246). 
 The same undertaking as is prescribed with re spect to a sample shall also be given with 
respect to biological material derived from the sample which has retained those characteristics of the deposited biological mate rial that are essential for carrying out the 
invention.  The undertaking shall be a ttached to the request. 
 Section 25 b  (16.6.1985/505) 
 A request made under section 22(7) of the Patent s Act that samples may only be issued to a 
special expert must be made within 16 months of the filing date of the application or, where 
priority is claimed, of the cl aimed priority date. (16.2.2006/144) 
 The Patent Office shall draw up a list of those persons who have  stated their willingness to 
assume assignments as experts and who are suitable for such a task. A decision on the 
persons chosen for inclusion in  the list of ex perts shall be announced  as prescribed in 
Section 43.  If a sample may be issued only to a special ex pert, the request for the sample shall state the 
person to be called upon as an expert. The request shall be accompanied by a written 
undertaking from the expert to the applicant to the effect  that the sample will not be used for 
other than experimental purposes and will not be made available to anyone else before a 
patent granted on the invention has expired or before 20 years have lapsed from the filing 
date of the application if a final decision not re sulting in the grant of a patent has been taken 
on the application. This undertaki ng shall also apply to biologi cal material obtained from the 
sample and to biological material derive d from the sample which has retained those 
characteristics of the deposited biological mate rial that are essential for carrying out the 
invention.  Any person included in the list, or accepted by the applicant in a particular case, may be 
called upon as an expert.  
Section 25 c 
 
Notwithstanding the provisions laid down in S ections 25a and 25b of this Decree in respect 
of undertakings to be given to the applicant fo r or proprietor of a patent, a derived biological 
material may be deposited for the purposes of a new patent application.  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 14  
 
  Section 25 d  (14.6.1985/505) 
 If a request has been made for a sample and ne ither the Patents Act nor this Decree preclude 
the furnishing of a sample, the Patent Office shal l issue a certificate to that effect. The Patent 
Office shall forward the request for the sample and the certificate to the institution where the 
deposit is kept. The Patent Office shall at th e same time forward to the applicant or the 
proprietor of the patent a copy of  the request and the certificate. 
 If the Patent Office decides that a certificate as referred to in the fi rst paragraph cannot be 
issued, it shall give a notice of that decision. The person w ho has requested the sample may 
lodge an appeal against such decision with the Board of Appeal of the Patent Office within 60 
days of the date on which the decision was co mmunicated to the appellant, not counting the 
date of communication.   There shall be no appeal from the deci sion of the Board of Appeal. (21.3.1997/246) 
 
Processing of Patent Applications 
 
Section 26 
 
In examining whether the conditions for granti ng a patent laid down in Section 2 of the 
Patents Act have been satisfied, the Patent Office shall consider all facts that come to its attention.  The examination at the Patent Office shall be ca rried out on the basis of  patent specifications, 
published specifications and published applicati ons, or abstracts thereof, from Finland, 
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, the 
Federal Republic of Germany, the former German  Reich and the European  Patent Office, or 
on the basis of publicly available international applications or abstracts thereof as well as applications that have become available to the public in Finl and. Other available literature 
may also be examined if found necessary.  The Patent Office shall issue more detailed  regulations regardin g the conduct of the 
examination. Where particular circumstances re quire, such regulations  may differ from the 
provisions of the second paragraph.  Section 26 a  (21.3.1997/246) 
 If, during the examination of an application, a communication which is of importance for the 
examination of the application is filed with th e Patent Office, the applicant shall be notified 
thereof. If the communication does not concern be tter title to the invention, the Patent Office 
shall notify the party that submitted the co mmunication of the possi bility of lodging an 
opposition if a patent is granted.  
Section 27 
 
Where necessary for the examination of a pate nt application, the Patent Office may consult 
experts who are not on the st aff of the Patent Office.  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 15 
 
 
   
Section 28 
 
The Patent Office may call upon an applicant to submit a model, sample or the like, or to 
carry out investigations or experiments, if n ecessary in order to ev aluate an invention. 
 
Section 29 
 
Anyone who applies for a patent in Finland in re spect of an invention for which he has sought 
a patent from a foreign patent authority shall be required, with the limitations laid down in the third paragraph of Section 74 of the Patents Ac t, to report what such foreign authority has 
communicated to him concerning the novelty or pa tentability examination of the invention. 
The Patent Office may require hi m, by official action, to file a copy of such communication 
or a declaration that no inform ation concerning the examination of the previous application 
has been received.   If the examination of an appli cation is carried out by a foreig n authority in accordance with 
the second paragraph of Section 74 of the Patent s Act, and if the Finnish Patent Office has 
concluded an agreement with such authority to exchange examination results and other 
information, the Patent Office may defer examinati on of an application th at corresponds to an 
application filed previously with such foreign patent authority until the latter application has been processed to the extent provided for in the agreement. 
 The Patent Office shall be authorized to comm unicate documents in resp ect of applications 
that have not yet become public to a patent authority with which an agreement has been 
concluded in accordance with the second para graph, provided that the patent authority 
concerned has undertaken not to make such documents available to the public.  
Section 29 a 
 
If the Patent Office considers that a patent ma y be granted, the Office shall, before giving a 
notice under the first paragraph of Section 19 of the Patents Act, se nd the applicant the 
documents that show the text in which it intends  to grant the patent. The Patent Office may in 
such case under Section 15 of the Patents Act inv ite the applicant to file his comments and 
return the documents to the Office within a specified time limit.  Section 30  (21.3.1997/246) 
 The Patent Office shall issue re gulations on time limits and ex tensions of time limits. The 
grant of a patent may only be deferred, if the grant would take place before the application 
has become available to the public under Secti on 22 of the Patents Act.  In such case, the 
grant of a patent may at the applicant's reque st be deferred until the time the application 
becomes available to the public under th e above-mentioned Section of the Act. 
 IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 16  
 
  Grant of a Patent  (21.3.1997/246) 
 
Section 31 
 
Printing of a published specificati on pursuant to Section 21 of th e Patents Act shall begin as 
soon as possible after the applicant has paid the printing fee under th e third paragraph of 
Section 19 of the Patents Act.  The published specification must state:  (1) the serial number of the application in th e record of applicatio ns and the registration 
number of the patent and the classes in which the patent is classified; 
 (2) the name and address of the proprietor of  the patent; 
 (3) the name, domicile and address of the repres entative appointed by th e applicant, if any; 
 (4) the name and address of the inventor;  (5) the title of the invention;  (6) whether the patent is based on a Finnish application, an interna tional application or a 
European patent application which has been  converted into a national application; 
 (7) if the patent is based on a Fi nnish application, the date of r eceipt and the date  of filing of 
the application; (16.2.2006/144)  (8) if the patent is based on an international application, the internati onal filing date and the 
date on which the application was pursued under  Section 31 of the Patents Act or on which 
the application under the third paragraph of Se ction 38 of the same Act is deemed to have 
been filed, and the number of the international application;  (9) if the patent is based on a European patent  application which has been converted into a 
national application, th e filing date under the European Pa tent Convention and the date the 
application was received by the Patent Office for conversion, and the application number of 
the European application;  (10) if priority is claimed, where the earlier appl ication given as a basis for priority has been 
filed and the filing date and serial  number of such application; 
 
(11) if the application results from division or  separation, the serial number of the parent 
application;  (12) if the application includes a deposit of a biological material, an indication of the 
institution where the deposit is kept and the access code given to the deposit by the said 
institute; (13.7.2000/674)  (13) the date on which the a pplication documents were ma de available to the public;  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 17 
 
 
   
(14) the date on which the patent was granted:  (15) the publications cited.  Section 32  (21.3.1997/246) 
 The announcement of the grant of a patent shall contain the informa tion that is to be given in 
the published specification under Section 31, with  the exception of th e publications cited. 
 
Opposition (21.3.1997/246) 
 
Section 33 
 
An opposition under Section 24 of the Patents Ac t shall state the following particulars: 
 1) the name and address of the opponent;  2) the registration number of the patent agai nst which the opposition is lodged, the name of 
the proprietor of the patent a nd the title of the invention; 
 3) whether the opponent demands that the patent  be revoked or that patent protection be 
restricted to some extent;  4) which of the circumstances stated in the fi rst paragraph of Section 25 of the Patents Act 
serve as grounds on which the opposition is filed and what other circumstances can be presented as grounds for the opposition; and  5) if the opponent has appoint ed a representative, the name , domicile and address of the 
representative.  The opposition and any subsequent communicati ons, together with attachments, from the 
proprietor of the patent or the opponent shall be filed in the number of copies required by the 
Patent Office.  Where the opponent has appointed a representa tive, the representative shall prove his 
authorisation.  Section 34  (21.3.1997/246) 
 
If the opposition has not been made in the manner prescribed in the firs t paragraph of Section 
24 of the Patents Act, the opposition will not be admitted. Neither will the opposition be 
admitted if the patent against which the opposition is filed is not identified in the documents 
submitted to the Patent Office within the time li mit reserved for lodging an opposition, or if it 
cannot be established who filed the opposition, or if the particulars stated in item 4 of the first 
paragraph of Section 33 are not given in the documents. 
 IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 18  
 
  If other provisions concerning oppositions ar e not complied with on lodging an opposition, 
the Patent Office shall invite the opponent to correct the defe cts within a prescribed time 
limit. Failure to do so in the prescribed time limit shall result in the opposition being rejected 
as inadmissible.  Section 35  (21.3.1997/246) 
 Copies of all communications filed by the opponent  shall be transmitted to the proprietor of 
the patent.  If the proprietor of the patent files a counter statement in respect of the opposition, the Patent 
Office shall decide on the need for a further exchange of communications. 
 Section 36  has been repealed (21.3.1997/246). 
 Section 37  (21.3.1997/246) 
 The Patent Office shall issue mo re specific regulations on a pplications and oppositions and 
their processing.  
Patent Register 
 
Section 37 a  (15.2.1996/104) 
 The Patent Register shall contain informati on on patents granted by the Patent Office and on 
European patents having le gal effect in Finland. 
 Section 38  (21.3.1997/246) 
 Once a patent has been granted in  Finland, it shall be r ecorded in the Patent Register. In that 
connection, the particulars that under Section 31 sh all be indicated in th e patent specification, 
with the exception of the publications cited, shall be recorded in the Patent Register. 
Section 38 a (15.2.1996/104)  A European patent shall be recorded in the Register once the European Patent Office has 
published an announcement of the grant of the pate nt and the applicant ha s filed a translation 
and paid a fee pursuant to the first paragr aph of Section 70 h of the Patents Act. 
 The following particulars shall be recorded  in the Register in  that connection: 
 
(1) the date on which the European Patent O ffice has announced its decision to grant the 
patent;  (2) the date on which th e translation and the payment of th e fee under the first paragraph of 
Section 70 h of the Patents Act were received  and the date on which the announcement of the 
translation was published;  (3) the date on which the patent term begins; and  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 19 
 
 
   
(4) the particulars corresponding to the ones spec ified in subparagraphs 1 to 5, 10 and 13 of 
the second paragraph of Section 31. (21.3.1997/246)  If the European Patent Office has taken a fi nal decision to revoke a European patent or 
maintain a European patent with  amended wording, this fact sha ll be recorded in  the Register. 
If the proprietor of the patent, in cases where the patent is ma intained with amended wording, 
filed the translation and paid the prescribed fee under the first paragr aph of Section 70 h of 
the Patents Act, this fact shall be recorded in the Register.  If a correction is filed of the translation referre d to in the first and th ird paragraphs above, the 
date this has taken place and the date of the announcement of th e correction shall be recorded 
in the Register.  Section 38 b  (21.3.1997/246) 
 Once an opposition has been lodged against a granted patent, this fact shall be recorded in the 
Patent Register. The entry shall contain the following particulars: 
 1) the name and address of the opponent;  2) if the opponent has appoint ed a representative, the name , domicile and address of the 
representative; and  3) the date of lodging the opposition.  A final decision taken in respect of an opposition shall be recorded in th e Patent Register. In 
that connection, the date  of the decision and its principa l contents are recorded in the 
Register.  Section 39  (21.3.1997/246) 
 The announcement under the sixth pa ragraph of Section 25 of th e Patents Act concerning a 
decision taken in respect of an opposition shall give the serial number and classification of 
the patent, the title of the inve ntion, the name of the proprietor of the patent and the date of 
the decision.  
Section 40 
 
Payment of a renewal fee or resp ite granted for payment of a rene wal fee shall be  recorded in 
the Register. 
 If a patent has lapsed under S ection 51 of the Patents Act, the date as from which the patent 
ceased to be valid shall be recorded in the Register. 
 A request under Section 71a of the Patents Act that a renewal fee be deemed to have been 
paid within the specified time lim it shall be recorded in the Regi ster without delay. The final 
decision on such request shall also be recorded. IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 20  
 
   
Section 41 
 
Any notification made to the Patent Office that a person has taken legal action to have a patent declared invalid, to have a patent transf erred or to obtain a compulsory license shall be 
recorded in the Register.  When a copy of a court decision has been sent  to the Patent Office in accordance with 
Section 70 of the Patents Act, this fact shall be recorded in the Register. Once the decision 
has become final, an entry shall be made in th e Register in such a way that the main findings 
of the case are apparent in the Register.  If the Patent Office has declared a patent terminated under Section 54 of the Patents Act, this fact shall be recorded in the Register.  
Section 42 
 
Entries under Section 44 of the Pa tents Act concerning the transfer of a patent or the grant of 
a license or a pledge shall incl ude the name, domicile and addr ess of the owner of the right 
and the date of the transfer or gr ant of the license or rights. In the case of a license, it shall be 
stated, on request, whether the right of the owner of the patent to grant additional licenses has been limited. If it is not possible to take an  immediate decision on the question of recording 
the transfer or grant of a license or a pledge , an entry shall nevertheless be made in the 
Register that recording has been requested.  Seizure of a patent to cover a debt shall be recorded in  the Register when reported. 
 Any change reported in respect of a represen tative shall be recorded in the Register. 
 Where the Patent Office receives such notification of transfer of a deposit as is referred to in 
the third paragraph of Section 17b  or such receipt of a new depos it of a biological material as 
is referred to in the third paragraph of Secti on 17c, the transfer or the new deposit shall be 
recorded in the Register.  
Section 43 
 
Announcements in respect of patents shall be pu blished in a publication issued by the Patent 
Office.   Special Right to Take Legal Action 
 
Section 44 
 
Legal proceedings under the third paragraph of  Section 52 of the Patents Act shall be 
instituted by the Public Prosecutor, unless th e Government appoints a nother official in a 
specific case.   IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 21 
 
 
  Receiving Office for Internat ional Patent Applications 
 
Section 45  (15.2.1996/104) 
 The Patent Office acts as the r eceiving Office for international patent applications where the 
applicant or one of the applicants is a nati onal of Finland, a natu ral person domiciled in 
Finland, a legal entity constituted according to  Finnish law, or anyone who carries on 
business in Finland. Such applicant may file an international patent application also with the 
European Patent Office or the Internationa l Bureau of the World Intellectual Property 
Organization. (16.2.2006/144)  
Section 46 
 
In its capacity as a receiving Office, the Pa tent Office shall receiv e, check and transmit 
international applications in accordance wi th the Patent Cooperation Treaty and its 
Regulations.  The following fees are payable to the Patent O ffice in that connection within one month of 
the receipt of the a pplication: (16.2.2006/144) 
 (1) the international fi ling fee referred to in Rule 15.1 of the Regulations under the Patent 
Cooperation Treaty; (16.2.2006/144)  (2) the search fee referred to in Rule 16.1 of  the Regulations under th e Patent Cooperation 
Treaty; (16.2.2006/144) and  (3) the transmittal fee for the handling of the ap plication by the Patent Office in its capacity 
as a receiving Office. (16.2.2006/144)  If the amount of the internati onal filing fee is increased after receipt of the application, but 
before making the payments, the fee may be paid w ithout an increase if it is paid within one 
month of receipt of th e application. (16.2.2006/144) 
 If the fee referred to in the second paragraph has not been pa id within the prescribed time 
limit or if it has not been fully paid on expiry of the time limit, the Patent Office shall invite the applicant to pay the outstanding amount within one month of issui ng the invitation. 
(26.6.1992/583)  
Section 47 
 
At the applicant's request and on payment of a specifically prescribed fee, the Patent Office 
ensures that a copy of an application previous ly filed with the Pate nt Office is transmitted 
under Rule 17.1(b) to the International Bu reau of the World Intellectual Property 
Organization. The fee must be paid within the time limit for making the request under the above-mentioned Rule. (16.2.2006/144)  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 22  
 
  Section 48  (14.6.1985/505) 
 International applications filed with the Patent  Office are to be submitted in a single copy. 
They must be drafted in Finnish, Swedish or English or in any other language accepted by the 
Patent Office. The request of an international app lication may be in the English language 
even where the actual applic ation is drafted in Finni sh or Swedish. (16.2.2006/144) 
 
Section 49 
 
A separate record shall be kept of international applications filed with the Patent Office. The record shall not be av ailable to the public. 
 Section 50  (13.7.2000/674) 
 An applicant not domiciled in Fi nland shall be require d to appoint a repres entative residing in 
the European Economic Area, entitled to repres ent him before the Patent Office in matters 
concerning the application.  Section 51  (14.6.1985/505) 
 Where not prevented by the Act on Inventions of  Importance to the Defense of the Country 
(No. 551/67), the Patent Office sha ll transmit the international appl ications it receives to the 
International Bureau of the World Intellectua l Property Organization, in  accordance with the 
Patent Cooperation Trea ty and its Regulations. 
 
Transmitting International Patent App lications to the International Bureau 
 
Section 51 a  (21.3.1997/246)  
 Where the Patent Office is not competent to rece ive an international application filed with it 
by an applicant who is domiciled in or a national of a Contrac ting State, the Patent Office 
shall without delay transmit the application to th e International Bureau in accordance with the 
Patent Cooperation Trea ty and its Regulations. 
 In this connection, the applicant must pay the transmittal fee referred to in Rule 19.4 of the 
Regulations for the Patent Cooperation Trea ty within one month of the filing of the 
application. An application so received for the International Bureau is deemed to have been 
received on the day the international applicat ion has been filed with the Patent Office. 
(16.2.2006/144)  
Pursuing International Patent Applications (14.6.1985/505) 
 Section 52  (14.6.1985/505) 
 If an international patent applic ation has been filed in a langua ge other than those referred to 
in the fifth paragraph of Section 8 of the Patent s Act, a translation of the application shall be 
required in order to pursue the application under  Section 31 of the Patents Act or to request a 
review under the first paragraph of Section 38 of the Patents Act.  In such case, the provisions  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 23 
 
 
  of Section 3 of this Decree concerning th e translation shall be complied with, where 
applicable. The Patent Office may issue regulati ons concerning relaxation for applicants from 
the requirement to file a translation incases wh ere an international application is pursued in 
Finland in part only.  Section 52 a  (14.6.1985/505) 
 If the applicant has ta ken all steps required by Section 31 of  the Patents Act for pursuing an 
international application, but the Patent Office has received no notifica tion of receipt of the 
application from the International Bureau, th e Patent Office shall notify the International 
Bureau thereof.  Section 52 b  (14.6.1985/505) 
 The time limit referred to in Sect ion 34 of the Patents Act is four  months from the expiry of 
the time limit for pursuing an  international patent appli cation laid down in Section 31, 
paragraph 1, of the Patents Act. (16.12.2004/1200)  Section 52 c  (14.6.1985/505)  
 The request for review under the first paragraph of  Section 38 of the Patents Act shall be filed 
within two months of the date on which the receiving  Office or the International Bureau has 
sent a notification to the a pplicant of the decision refe rred to in that paragraph. 
 If the applicant can prove that he received the notification refe rred to in the first paragraph 
more than seven days after the date borne by th e notification, the time limit shall be extended 
by as many days as have elapsed between the da te of the notification and the date on which 
the applicant receive d the notification. The seve n days referred to above  shall nevertheless be 
subtracted from the term.  
Supplementary Protection Certificates  (21.3.1997/246) 
 Section 52 d  (21.3.1997/246) 
 'Supplementary protection certificate' refers to  the supplementary pr otection certificate in 
accordance with Section 70 a of the Patents Act. 
 'Council Regulation' refers to Council Regulat ion (EEC) No 1768/92 concerning the creation 
of a supplementary protection certificate for me dicinal products, with the amendments and 
additions made to it by decision No. 7/94 of  the joint committee of the EEA, and to the 
European Parliament and Council Regulation (E C) No. 1610/96 concerning the adoption of a 
supplementary protection certificat e for plant protection products. 
 
Section 52 e 
 
An application concerning a supplementary protect ion certificate shall be  filed in writing and 
submitted in two copies.  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 24  
 
  The application document shall be signed by the a pplicant or his representative and shall state 
the particulars prescribed in Article 8 of the Council Regulation referred to in Section 52 d. If 
a supplementary protection certific ate is applied for by several pe rsons jointly, the application 
document shall also contain a statement as to wh ich of them is entitled or, if the applicants 
have appointed a representa tive, whom they have jointly authorised to receive 
communications from the Patent Office on behalf of all applicants.  In addition, the applicant shall provide the Pa tent Office with any additional information on 
the product necessary for the pr ocessing of the application. 
 Section 52 f  (28.6.1994/595) 
 The application shall be written in Finnish or  Swedish in compliance with the applicable 
language laws. If a document accompanying the a pplication is drafted in a language other 
than those mentioned above, the Office may require  that a translation be  provided in either 
Finnish or Swedish.  Section 52 g  (28.6.1994/595) 
 The Patent Office shall keep a r ecord of applications received. In addition to the details listed 
in Article 9(2) of the releva nt Council Regulation, the followi ng particulars shall be entered 
in the record for each application:  1) the serial number and fili ng date of the application; 
 2) where the applicant has appointed a represen tative, the name, domicile and address of the 
representative;  3) the communications filed and fees paid in respect of the case; and 
 4) the decisions taken in re spect of the cas e. (21.3.1997/246) 
 The record and the documents concerning the ap plication shall be accessible to the public. 
 Section 52 h  (21.3.1997/246) 
 Provisions concerning p ublication of an announcement of an  application for a supplementary 
protection certificate are laid  down in Article 9 of the re levant Council Regulation. The 
announcement shall also contain the serial number and filing da te of the application for a 
supplementary protection certificate. 
 
Section 52 i  (28.6.1994/595) 
 An application for a supplementary protection certificate may not be amended to relate to 
another product or another basic patent.   IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 25 
 
 
  Section 52 j  (21.3.1997/246) 
 In processing an application, the Patent Office does not verify that the application meets the 
conditions laid down in Article 3(1) (d) of the relevant Council Regulation. 
 Section 52 k  (21.3.1997/246) 
 The provisions of Sections 15 and 16 of the Patent s Act apply to the time limits referred to in 
Article 10 (3) of the rele vant Council Regulation. 
 Section 52 l  (28.6.1994/595) 
 The Patent Office shall publish an  announcement of the fact that a supplem entary protection 
certificate has been granted. The announcement shall contain, in addition to what is laid down in Article 11 of the relevant Council Regula tion, indication of the serial number and filing 
date of the application and the registra tion number of the cert ificate. (21.3.1997/246) 
 A supplementary protection certific ate shall contain the particular s referred to in paragraph 1 
above.  Section 52 m  (28.6.1994/595) 
 The Patent Office shall keep a register of suppl ementary protection certif icates granted. In the 
register shall be recorded the pa rticulars referred to in the fi rst paragraph of Section 52 l of 
the Patents Decree and, where the proprietor has appointed a representative, the name, 
domicile and address of the representative. In addition the provisions of Sections 40 to 42 of 
the Patents Decree shall apply.  Section 52 n  (28.6.1994/595) 
 Where an application for a supplementary pr otection certificate has been rejected or 
dismissed by a final decision, an announcemen t shall be published of this fact. The 
announcement shall contain the particular s referred to in Section 52 h above. 
 The Patent Office publishes an announcement of the fact that a supplementary protection 
certificate has lapsed where such a decision, at th e request of a third party, has been taken in 
accordance with Article 14, item d, of th e relevant Council Regulation. 821.3.1997/246) 
 Section 52 o  (28.6.1994/595) 
 
A prescribed renewal fee is payable for a supp lementary protection cer tificate for each fee 
year commencing after the expiry of  the term of the basic patent. 
 In addition, the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 3 of Section 41 of the Patents Act apply 
mutatis mutandis in respect of the payment of renewal fees. 
 IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 26  
 
  Section 52 p  (13.7.2000/674) 
 An applicant for and a proprieto r of a supplementary protecti on certificate not domiciled in 
Finland shall appoint a represen tative residing in the European  Economic Area, as laid down 
in Sections 12 and 71 of the Patents Act.  Section 52 q  (28.6.1994/595) 
 If a European patent application is filed with th e Patent Office, this shall, in accordance with 
Rule 24(2) and (3) of the Re gulations under the European Pa tent Convention,  indicate the 
date of filing on the documents of the applic ation, issue a receipt for the documents and 
notify the European Patent Office thereof.  The application shall, in accord ance with Article 77 of the Eu ropean Patent Convention and 
Rule 15(3) of the Regulations of the Convent ion, be transmitted to the European Patent 
Office, unless otherwise specified in the Act on Inventions of Importance to the Defense of 
the Country (No. 551/67).  
Converting European Patent Applications  into National Appl ications (15.2.1996/104) 
 Section 52 r  (15.2.1996/104) 
 If the Patent Office receives a request for convers ion of a European patent application into a 
national application under Arti cle 136(2) of the European Pa tent Convention, the Patent 
Office shall immediately transmit the request toge ther with a copy of the application to the 
patent authorities of the count ries specified in the request. 
 Section 52 s  (15.2.1996/104) 
 If the Patent Office receives a European pate nt application which has been transmitted there 
for conversion into a national application under Article 136 of the European Patent 
Convention, the Patent Office shall imme diately notify the applicant thereof. 
 The application fee and the tran slation under the first and sec ond paragraphs of Section 70 s 
of the Patents Act shall be received by the Patent Office within three months of the date on which the Patent Office sent the notification under the first paragr aph above to the applicant.  
The application fee shall be computed in the same manner  as the application fee under 
Section 8 of the Patents Act.  
Record to be kept of European Patent Applications 
 
Section 52 t  (15.2.1996/104) 
 The Patent Office shall keep a separate record , accessible to the public, of European patent 
applications for which translations have been filed pursuant to Section 70 n of the Patents Act.   IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
 Page 27 
 
 
  The particulars to be entered in the record for each application include the serial number of 
the application, the applicant's name and addres s, and the date on which the translation or a 
corrected translation was receiv ed by the Patent Office, as well as the date on which an 
announcement of the filing of the translation or a corrected translation was published. 
Further, the date which has been accorded as  the filing date of the application and the 
particulars listed in paragraphs 4 to 6, 10 and 11 of Section 7(2)  are entered. (16.2.2006/144) 
 Once the translation under the first paragraph of Section 70 h of the Patents Act has been 
filed, a note to that effect as well as the date on which an announcement of the filing of the 
translation was published shall be entered in  the record. The same shall apply to any 
correction of such a translation received before the patent is en tered in the Patent Register. 
 
Translating European Patents and European Patent Applications 
 
Section 52 u  (15.2.1996/104) 
 The filing of the translation and the payment of  the fee under Section 70 h of the Patents Act 
shall take place within three months of the date on which the European Patent Office has 
published its decision to let the patent application proceed to grant or to maintain the patent in 
an amended form.  The translation under the first paragraph shal l comprise the title of the invention, the 
description, including any drawings where n ecessary, and the patent  claims. (21.3.1997/246) 
 The translation under the first paragraph, 1st clau se, of Section 70 h of the Patents Act shall 
be accompanied by indication of the application number and the name and address of the 
applicant. The translation under the first paragra ph, 3rd clause, of the said Section 70 h of the 
Patents Act shall be accompanied by indication of  the serial number of the patent and the 
name and mailing address of th e proprietor of the patent. 
 If the requirements of paragra phs 2 and 3 hereof are not comp lied with, the translation under 
Section 70 h of the Patents Act shall be deemed not to have been filed. 
 Section 52 v  (15.2.1996/104) 
 The translation under Section 70 n of the Patents Act shall be accompanied by indication of the number of the application, and the applicant's name and address.  If that requirement is not 
complied with, the translation shall be  deemed not to have been filed. 
 Section 52 x  (15.2.1996/104) 
 
Announcements concerning translations under Sec tion 70 h of the Patents Act must contain: 
 (1) an indication of the particul ars that pursuant to the third pa ragraph of Section 52 u shall 
accompany the translation;  (2) the classes of the patent application or the patent;  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
Page 28  
 
  (3) the title of the invention; 
 (4) the filing date of th e application; (16.2.2006/144) 
 (5) the date on which the European Patent Offi ce has published its decision to let the patent 
application proceed to grant or to mainta in the patent in an amended form; and 
 (6) if priority is claimed, where the previous application whose priority is claimed was filed 
and the date of filing and seri al number of that application. 
 Announcements concerning translations under Sec tion 70 n of the Patents Act must contain: 
 (1) an indication of the particul ars that pursuant to the third pa ragraph of Section 52 v shall 
accompany the translation;  (2) the classes of the patent application;  (3) the title of the invention;  (4) an indication of the filing date of  the patent application; (16.2.2006/144) and 
 (5) if priority is claimed, where the previous application whose priority is claimed was filed 
and the date of filing and seri al number of that application. 
 Section 52 y  (15.2.1996/104) 
 Correction of the translation under Section 70 q of the Patents Act shall be made by filing a 
rewritten copy of the document clearly indi cating the correction. The correction of the 
translation shall be accompanied by an indication of th e number of the patent application or 
the patent and the name and a ddress of the proprie tor of the patent or the applicant, 
respectively, at the risk of th e correction of the translation be ing deemed not to have been 
filed.   Announcements concerning corrections of tr anslations under the first paragraph of 
Section 70 q of the Patents Act shall contain:  (1) the information that pursuant to the third paragraph of Section 52 u shall accompany the 
translation;  (2) the classes of the patent application or the patent; 
 
(3) the title of the invention; and  (4) the date on which th e correction of the translation and the publication fee were received 
by the Patent Office.  Announcements concerning corrections of tran slations under the second paragraph of 
Section 70 q of the Patents Act shall contain:  IP/N/1/FIN/P/6 
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(1) the information that pursuant to the third paragraph of Section 52 v shall accompany the 
translation;  (2) the classes of the patent application;  (3) the title of the invention; and  (4) the date on which the correction of the tr anslation was received by the Patent Office. 
 
(Transitional provisions not included) 
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