PRH carries a long tradition

The history of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) started in 1835 when a Manufacture Board was established in the Imperial Senate of Finland to administer the country’s increasing manufacturing and factory operations. Until 2013, the English name of our office was the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland, NBPR.

Significant milestones

• 1835: The Manufacture Board is established.
• 1842: The first Finnish patent is granted to L. G. Ståhle’s “blowing machine made of iron".
  Read more about L. G. Ståhle’s “blowing machine made of iron” in Finnish.Open link in a new tab
  
• 1885: The Industrial Board is established and the functions of the Manufacture Board are transferred to the Industrial Board.
• 1889: Registration of trademarks begins.
• 1896: The Finnish Trade Register is established.
• 1919: The Industrial Board is discontinued and matters relating to patents, trademarks and the Finnish Trade Register are trusted with the Board of Trade and Industry.
• 1921: Finland becomes a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• 1926: The Board of Trade and Industry is discontinued and matters relating to patents, trademarks and the Finnish Trade Register are trusted with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
• 1942: The National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) is established.
• 1971: The first Finnish design protection is registered.
• 1980: Finland joins the international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
• 1986: The Finnish Register of Enterprise Mortgages is established.
  
• 1992: The first utility model is granted, and the 50th anniversary of our office.
• 1994: The first Innofinland Contest is organised.
  
• 1995: The Finnish Register of Foundations and the Finnish Register of Associations are transferred from the Ministry of Justice to our office.
• 1996: Finland joins the European Patent Convention (EPC), our office becomes a full member of the European Patent Organisation (EPO), and the 100th anniversary of the Finnish Trade Register.
  
• 1997: Finland becomes a member of OHIM, the EU Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (trademarks and designs).
• 2001: The Finnish Business Information System at ytj.fi is introduced by the Finnish Tax Administration and our office.
  
• 2005: Our office becomes an international searching and examining PCT authority (ISA and IPEA).
• 2008: The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland is established; our office belongs to its group of agencies.
• 2009: The first bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreement is signed.
• 2012: We celebrate the 70th anniversary of our office, the 170th anniversary of the granting of the first Finnish patent, and the 20th anniversary of the first registered utility model in Finland.
• 2013: The 10,000th utility model is granted.
• 2014: We change our name in English from the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) to the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH).
• 2015: Trade Register tasks carried out by Finnish local register offices are transferred to our office.
  
• 2016: Auditor oversight is transferred to our office.
• 2017: Monitoring of organisations for collective management of copyright is transferred to our office.
• 2017: The 75th anniversary of our office, the 175th anniversary of the Finnish patent, and the 25th anniversary of the utility model.

Read the PRH’s 75th anniversary magazine in Finnish.Open link in a new tab (pdf, 4.3 Mb)
Read the Finnish publication PRH 75 vuotta – Suomalainen patentti 175 vuotta.Open link in a new tab (pdf, 11.21 Mb)

• 2019: Registration of actual beneficial owners begins at the Finnish Trade Register, and the 100th anniversary of the Finnish Register of Associations.
• 2021: Our office to lead the Real-Time Economy project.
• 2022: The 80th anniversary of our office, the 180th anniversary of the Finnish patent, and the 30th anniversary of the utility model.