170 years of Finnish patents

The history of the Finnish patent system goes back a long way, which is notable from an international perspective. It extends over the period of technological development in Finland: from its awakenings in the early 1800’s to the multiplicity of high-tech industries we see around us today.

The patent system plays an essential part in our national innovation policy, supporting an effective implementation and economic utilisation of the results of product development and research within businesses. It provides a foundation to enhance Finland’s international competitiveness, and thus contributes to improvements in our social welfare.

The Finnish patent system dates back to 1842. That year, patent number 1 was granted to Mr L.G. Ståhle, a Swedish mechanic, for a “blowing machine made of iron”, which is a piece of auxiliary equipment for an iron blast furnace. Back then, the patent period was shorter than today, and varied from one patent to another. Mr Ståhle was given exclusive rights for five years to manufacture the blowing machine in Finland.

In the early years, a few patents were granted each year. Some of the early applicants came from Sweden and Germany. The system gained momentum in the late 1880’s alongside the accelerating industrialisation in Finland. At the same time, foreign businesses, including American businesses, started to show a growing interest in obtaining patents in Finland.

All in all, over 120,000 patents have been granted over these 170 years. Since Finland’s accession to the European Patent Convention in 1996, most patents are today granted by the European Patent Office, to be then validated in Finland. However, the national patent continues to thrive, and is a competitive alternative for applicants, thanks to its rapid and legally secure process.

During its existence, our patent system has seen enormous changes – just like the rest of the world, and the innovations in technology sought to be protected by patent. At first, the applications were written by hand; today, three quarters of the applications are filed electronically. In the 1800’s, the application language was often Swedish, while Finnish started to gain ground in the 1900’s.

The Patents Act was amended in 2011, which allowed the use of English as well as Finnish and Swedish as a patenting language. You can thus get a Finnish patent from an application written in English, and, in this case, the whole patenting process is carried out in English.

The Manufacture Board of the early 1800’s had a couple of engineers examining applications. It has since grown into a patent office embracing all fields of technology, and employing over 100 examiners with a strong educational background.

Finland has joined international patent conventions, and our patent legislation and office practices have been harmonised accordingly. The quality of searches and examinations at the National Board of Patents and Registration is high, thanks to our access to first-class information search systems and extensive international databases.

In the last few years, Finnish businesses have adopted new patent strategies. Nowadays, they also do research and product development outside Finland, and patenting is more often started with an international patent application.

To be able to provide Finnish inventors and businesses starting a patent process abroad with even more versatile services, the National Board of Patents and Registration became an international searching and examining PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) authority in 2004.

A majority of Finnish businesses file their PCT applications with us, thus showing trust in our performance. Finland ranks very highly – second in the world after Switzerland – when the number of PCT applications per inhabitant is compared internationally.

Today, either the National Board of Patents and Registration or the European Patent Office can grant a patent to be in force in Finland. A community patent for the whole European Community has been under consideration since the 1970’s, but progress in the negotiations has been slow.

Steps towards a new system, now called the unitary patent, were taken recently, but some details still remain unresolved. If it becomes a reality, the unitary patent may bring about significant changes to our operations. Not all changes may be positive.

Alongside the patent system, from 1992, we have maintained the utility model system, aimed at meeting the requirements of inventors looking for domestic protection of their inventions.

The history of the patent is part of Finland’s history, and a smoothly running patent system is a lifeline to economic success in Finland. This is why the National Board of Patents and Registration, in co-operation with customers, is systematically advancing its services with a focus on constant improvements.

For further information, please contact:

Pekka Launis
Deputy Director General
National Board of Patents and Registration
Tel. +358 9 6939 5443, +358 40 546 1470