Finland IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names

Finland is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is Helsinki.

Finland has good results in many international comparisons of national performance such as the share of high-technology manufacturing, public education, health care, the rate of gross domestic product growth, and the protection of civil liberties.

General Information

Capital:

Helsinki

Population:

5.3 Million

Languages:

Finnish

Languages:

Swedish

Government Type:

Semi-presidential republic

Dialing Code:

+358

Timezone:

GMT +2

Monetary Unit:

Euro (€) (EUR)

More information:

Finland

International Arrangements

WIPO Convention
Paris Convention (Industrial Property)
Berne Convention (Literary and Artistic Works)
PCT (Patents)
PLT (Patent Law Treaty)
Madrid Protocol (International Registration of Marks)
Nice Agreement (International Classification of Goods and Services)
Rome Convention (Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations)
Locarno Agreement (International Classification for Industrial Designs)
Strasbourg Agreement (International Patent Classification)
Geneva Convention (Unauthorized Duplication of Phonograms)
Budapest Treaty (Deposit of Micro-organisms)
WTO: Member and Signatory to TRIPS Agreement
Member of EPO
Member of EU
Member of UCC
Member of UPOV

Patents

Types of patents:
- Patents of Invention
- Patents of PCT

Filing requirements:
-Applicant's name, domicile (seat) and address
-Inventor's name and address
-Specifications, claims and abstract (2 sets) to be translated into -Finnish; claims and abstract to be translated also into Swedish
-Drawings format A4 (4 sets), in case of texted drawings: one set untexted
-Power of attorney signed by the applicant (no legalization)
-Assignment of the invention signed by the inventor(s) (no legalization) or a declaration of the applicant's right to exploit the employee invention
-Priority document within 16 months from the priority date (not for PCT).
-If the applicant has changed: assignment of priority signed by the original applicant (no legalization)
-In the case of microorganisms deposited according to the Budapest Treaty; information of depository, date and number of deposit, within 16 months from the priority date

Granting:
Patent applications and issued patents are subject to annuities which become due to be paid starting from the beginning of the third year

Renewals:
Within 12 months before expiry.

Trademarks

Filing requirements:
-Simply signed power of attorney
-15 prints of the mark (in case of device mark)
-Priority details in case priority is to be claimed

Granting:
10 years from filing date.

Renewals:
Within 12 months before expiry.

Designs and Models

Filing requirements:
- Applicant's name, domicile (seat) and address
- Creator's name and address (physical person)
- Pictures or drawings of the design (4 sets) reproducible, preferably in black and white, maximum size A4
- Goods and international class (e) of the design
- Power of attorney signed by applicant (no legalization)
- Assignment signed by the creator (no legalization)
- Priority data (priority document to be filed only upon request)

Granting:
- Fifteen years from the filing date

Renewals:
- Renewal is possible four times, with 5 year intervals calculated from the application date, I.E. the design registration can be kept in force for a total of 25 years. Designs concerning component parts used for the purpose of the repair of a complex product so as to restore its original appearance (spare parts), can, however, be renewed only twice

Copyrights

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

As a member of the Berne Convention, it is possible to copyright protect creative works in this country, as well as all the other member nations automatically (more than 160 countries), with one single application.

For more information and to submit us your works for worldwide copyright protection, click here.

Domain Names

Domain extension:

.fi

Requirements:
- a trademark application/registration in Finland or in the European Union
- a Finnish representative

More information

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Finland IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names