WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  IP/N/1/FIN/P/12 
9 February 2007 
 (07-0598) 
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   reproduces    the   consolidated   text
1  of  the  Decree on the Right 
to Employees’ Inventions 10.6.1988/527 as amended up to 2000/1218 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 10.6.1988/527 sur le droit à 
l'invention des employés, modifié jusqu'en 2000 (2000/ 1218) 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 el Derecho 
relativo a las Invenciones de los Empleados N° 10.6.1988/527 y sus modificaciones hasta 2000 
(2000/1218) inclusive, notificado por Finlandia en  virtud de lo dispuesto en el párrafo 2 del 
artículo 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/12 
Page 2  
 
  Decree on the Right to Employ ees’ Inventions 10.6.1988/527  
(Unofficial translation) 
 
(Amendments up to 2000/1218 included) 
 
 
Section 1 
 
When the rights to an invention made by an employee have under the Act on the Right to 
Employees’ Inventions (656/1967), below the ‘Empl oyee Inventions Act’, been transferred to 
the employer and the employer intends to apply for a patent for the invention, the employee 
shall sign an assignment concerning the transfer  of rights and any other documents that may 
be required in the patenting process, except wh ere the employee considers that the rights to 
his invention have not passed to the employer.  The signing of the documents referred to in the first paragraph shall not affect the amount of 
the compensation to be paid to the employee.  
Section 2 
 
The employee is entitled to the reasonable comp ensation referred to in section 7(1) of the 
Employee Inventions Act when the employer unde r the Act assumes right s in the invention. 
 If the employer and the employee agree upon tran sferring the rights ba ck to the employee, 
such returning of rights shall be taken into account as a factor lowering the amount of the 
compensation.  
Section 3 
 
The value of the invention within the meaning of section 2(2) of the Employee Inventions 
Act refers to the economic value of the invention. In assessing the value, the total economic contribution of the invention shall be taken into  account, even in the case where the invention 
only constitutes a part of a larger entity. Furthe rmore, both the value of the invention in the 
use of the employer or an ente rprise belonging to the same group as this and the benefit 
derived from the transfer of right s shall be taken into account. 
 The value of the invention shall be determin ed on the basis of th e measurable economic 
benefit, such as the savings in material, labour or energy costs produced by the invention, 
derived by the employer from bri nging the invention into use. The benefit is calculated by 
subtracting from the proceeds resulting from br inging the invention into use such investment, 
research, experimenting, patenting and other cost s arisen after the submitting of an invention 
report which have been necessary for rende ring the invention fit for use or sale. 
 If, because of the nature and mode of use of  the invention or for other special reason, the 
basis for determining the value of the invent ion stated in the second paragraph is not 
applicable, the value is to be determined through comparison to licensing agreements. The 
value of the invention shall in such case be determined on the basis of the licensing fee by 
which the employer could acquire the right to a corresponding free invention. Where rights to  IP/N/1/FIN/P/12 
 Page 3 
 
 
  an invention are assigned by a licensing agreem ent, the net proceeds in accordance with the 
agreement shall be taken to be the value of th e invention. Where anythi ng else, such as know-
how, is sold by the licensi ng agreement in addition to the rights  to the invention, the value of 
the other elements included in the sale shall be  subtracted from the price in determining the 
value of the invention.  If the bases for determination stated in the se cond and third paragraphs cannot be applied, the 
value of the invention sha ll be determined by assessing. 
 
Section 4 
 
The scope of the right acquired by the employe r stated in section 7(2) of the Employee 
Inventions Act comprises the rights the employer has assumed in the invention under 
section 4 of the Act.  
Section 5 
 
In assessing the contribution to the making of the invention of the terms in the employment 
contract and other circumstances relating to the employment referr ed to in section 7(2) of the 
Employee Inventions Act, attention shall be paid to the way the task has been defined and solved, to such aspects as how the technology and facilities provided by  the employer have 
been utilized, as well as to the position of th e inventor and his terms of employment and 
duties in the service of the employer.  
Section 6 
 
A reasonable compensation constitutes a part of  the value of the invention which shall be 
determined by taking into account the fact ors stated in sections 4 and 5 above. 
 
Section 7 
 
The reasonable compensation shall be determined so  that it consists in part of a lump-sum 
and in part of a compensation in the form of royalties.  The compensation can nevertheless be determin ed in the form of a lump sum where the 
invention is of minor economic significance, th e invention remains unused or other special 
reasons thereto exist. The compensation can be de termined in the form of a lump sum also in 
cases where the making of the invention clearly  has belonged to the duties proper of the 
employee and the invention is of minor value, or  where no such selling price can be specified 
from which the royalty could be calculated. 
 
Section 8 
 
The royalty-form compensation referred to in section 7 above shall be determined as a 
percentage of the price of the products in accord ance with the invention or of the price of the 
products manufactured by a process according to the invention. If the product constitutes only a part of the entire product to be marketed, the royalty can be determined as a percentage of IP/N/1/FIN/P/12 
Page 4  
 
  the price of the product as a whole, but in fi xing its size attention shall be paid to the 
contribution made by the invention.  Royalties shall be paid for the period of time the invention is being exploited, but not for more than 20 years.  
Section 9 
 
This Decree enters into force on 1 October 1988. 
 
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