- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 31 months from earliest priority date.
PRH conducts formality examination and substantive examination of invention patents. In Finland, the substantive examination of patent applications starts automatically without filing a specific request. Generally, it takes 8 months for PRH to issue the first office action notification, and the applicant needs to reply to the office action within 2-4 months. Patent granted can be obtained if the granted conditions are met.
The initial protection period is 4 years from the filing date, and can be renewed twice, 4 years and 2 years respectively, up to 10 years.
- Grant fee: The applicant shall pay the granted fee within 2 months after receiving the granted notice.
- Annuity: The annual fee for the first to fourth years is included in the application fee. After the granted, the annual fee will be paid from the fifth year and paid once every three years. It must be paid on the last day of the month of the application date. If the annual fee is overdue, it can be paid within a grace period of 6 months, but a late fee of 50.00 euros will be charged.
The novelty grace period is 12 months before the filing date/priority date.
The novelty of the invention will not be lost if the information about the invention is disclosed within 6 months before the filing date or the priority date if the following conditions are met:
- Disclosure due to apparent misuse by the applicant or its predecessor owners
- The invention is disclosed at an official or officially recognized international exhibition
yes. Multiple designs may be included in one design.
yes
20 years
Formal examination and substantive examination are required. Substantive examination begins automatically, without the need to submit a specific request.
Initial protection for 5 years. It can be renewed 4 times, each time for 5 years, with a maximum protection of 25 years. If the design is part of a complex product and is used to restore the integrity of the product, it is valid for a maximum of 15 years from the filing date.