Progress of the Finnish Patents Act reform
In summer 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland (MEAE) set up a working group to prepare a reform of the Finnish patent legislation. The PRH participates in the working group. The group organised a consultation in spring 2023.
Originally, the goal was to submit a government proposal to Parliament in autumn 2024, but it will be postponed. The working group’s term of office runs until the end of 2023, but according to the MEAE the term will be extended.
According to the national IPR strategy, the current Patents Act is outdated and no longer in line with general laws, such as the Administrative Procedure Act and data protection regulations. The Patents Act currently in force uses the wrong regulatory level in places, making agencies and business operators uncertain of their interpretations. Legislation should also be reformed to better enable the development of electronic services.
In connection with the renewal, the need to amend other laws on protecting inventions, such as the Act on Utility Model Rights and the Act on Inventions of Importance to the Defence of the Country, will be assessed.
For further information, please contact:
Olli Sievänen
Tel. +358 29 509 5438
Email: firstname.lastname@prh.fi