NBPR to Start Functioning as ISA and IPEA

The National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) starts functioning as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and an International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) with effect from 1 April 2005.

This function concerns international applications which are filed on or after 1 April 2005 and for which it is a competent ISA or IPEA.

The National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland shall act as an ISA / IPEA for international patent applications where the applicant or one of the applicants is a national of Finland, a natural person domiciled in Finland, a legal entity constituted according to Finnish law or anyone who carries on business in Finland and the Receiving Office (RO) is either the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland or the International Bureau of WIPO.

As previously, the applicant can request for a novelty search or a preliminary examination by the Swedish Patent Office or the European Patent Office.

In its role as an ISA / IPEA, the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland uses the following languages: Finnish, Swedish and English.

The amounts of the Search fee (PCT Rule 16.1(a)), Additional fee (PCT Rule 40.2(a)), Preliminary examination fee (PCT Rule 58.1(b)), and Additional fee for preliminary examination (PCT Rule 68.3(a)) will be notified of in week 12. The fees mainly follow the fees of the European Patent Office.

For further information, please contact

Unit Director Kristiina Grönlund, tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5334, or
Deputy Head of Division Heikki Oksanen, tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5246.

Vice President
Pekka Launis
The National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland
3 March 2005