Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

Time Limits

The deadline to enter the national stage of PCT in Finland is 31 months from the earliest priority date.

Requirements

An applicant shall supply a copy of the international application (WO publication) and pay the national filing fee no later than at the expiry of 31 months from the priority date.

A translation of the international application shall also be submitted, but it may be filed within two months after the time limit above provided that an additional fee for late furnishing of the translation has been paid within those two months.

The applicant must also file with the patent office a certificate issued by the patent authority, as well a copy of the priority application.

However, it is not mandatory to submit a certified copy of the priority application when entering the national phase, because the Finnish Patent Office will invite the applicant to provide such a document after a couple of months after the national entry. If the Patent Office is able to retrieve the priority document through the WIPO Digital Access Service for Priority Documents (DAS), the applicant can request the Patent Office to retrieve a copy of an earlier application from DAS for use as a priority document, instead of having to provide a certified copy.     

The applicant shall also appoint an agent. The Patent Agency Compatent will provide you with a pre-filled Power of Attorney form  to be executed by the applicant.

Note

Two types of protection are available via the PCT: national patents and utility models. A utility model may be sought instead of or in addition to a national patent.

Filing Costs

Current Official fees

  • Basic filing fee                                                                        350 Euro
  • Claim fee for each claim in excess of 10                          40 Euro
  • Additional fee for late furnishing  of a translation
    within two months after the 31 months time limit         125 Euro
  • Annual fees for the first three years                                200 Euro

 Compatent fees  (as of 1 October 2010)

  • Fee for service (flat fee)                                                405 Euro
  • Translation fee                                                              0,22 Euro per unit 
    (a unit is considered 8 characters in the translated text)

 Note: The agency fee is applicable, provided that we receive all of your material (excluding the PoA) in electronic form and you agree to accept a full filing report in electronic form only. Otherwise, disbursements such as copying and postage costs will be charged.