Amendments to the Patents Act, Patents Decree and Patent Instructions

Patents Act

On 18 November, 2005 was issued the Act No. 896/2005 amending the Patents Act. The number of the Government Bill concerning the amendments is 92/2005. The amendments will enter into force on 6 March, 2006 according to the Decree 143/2006 as follows:

sections 2(1,2), 8b, 8c, 27(1), 29, 35, 36(2), 38(1 and 3), 41(2), 60(2), 70 l (2), 70 m (1),70 n (2), and 71a. Subsection 2 of section 27 is repealed.

Patents Decree

Amendments to the Patents Act have been issued by Decree No. 144/2006. The amendments will enter into force on 6 March, 2006.

Patent Instructions

The Patent Instructions will be amended as of 6 March, 2006 concerning the following provisions:

sections 4 a and 4 b (new provisions), 18, 19, 22, 25, 33, 36, 37(2) (in force as of 1 April 2005), 42, 79, 80, 82, 93(2) and a new subsection (3), 98(3), 105, a new section 108 in the transitional provisions and, in the appendix 2 to the Patent Instructions, section 6.

Updated versions of the Patents Act and Patents Decree are available on the NBPR website as of 6 March, 2006.

For further information, please call Head of Division, Ms Laila Jungfelt +358 9 6939 5663.

Vice President Pekka Launis