2-2.5 years
3 months
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 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
no
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.
2-2.5 years
- Grant fee: The applicant shall pay the granted announcement fee within 2 months after receiving the official notification.
- Annuity: The annual fee will be paid year by year starting from the third year (including the first-third year annual fee). Overdue annual fee can be paid within a grace period of 6 months, and a 20% late fee will be paid at the same time.
no
The novelty grace period is 12 months before the filing date/priority date.