Revocation of a registered company name
You can apply for revocation of a registered company name at the PRH if the registration is disadvantageous to you. You can apply for revocation if the company name has not been used for the last five years and the holder of the company name does not give an acceptable reason for the non-use.
You can apply for revocation of a company name that has been registered at the Finnish Trade Register for at least five years before you send your application to the PRH.
The PRH may revoke the registration of the company name in full or to the extent that an obstacle to registration exists.
Example of a partial revocation: it may be necessary to revoke a company name if a registered company has registered an unnecessarily extensive line of business, thereby creating an obstacle to the registration of a company name or trademark.
You can apply for revocation of an auxiliary company name on the same grounds as above.
This page gives you information about the following topics:
- The PRH or the Finnish Market Court?
- What will the PRH do?
Also read the following pages:
- How to apply for revocation of a registered company name at PRH
- Instructions to the company name holder
The PRH or the Finnish Market Court?
A company name may only be revoked by the PRH due to non-use of the company name. If you have any other grounds for revocation – for example, if the company name is illegal – you must apply for revocation at the Finnish Market Court.
You may choose whether to file an application with the PRH or bring an action before the Finnish Market Court. The administrative procedure at the PRH does not allow for the processing of any other civil matters, such as a claim for compensation.
The PRH will not start processing an application if a claim related to the same company name is pending at the Finnish Market Court between the same parties. Similarly, the PRH will stop processing the application if a matter related to the same company name becomes pending at the Finnish Market Court. Inform the PRH of any claim that becomes pending during the processing of the application.
Please note that if a non-appealable decision has been issued on an application or claim to revoke the company name, the matter will not be re-considered on the same grounds. The matter can be re-considered if the circumstances have changed substantially.
What will the PRH do?
The PRH will tell the company name holder that a revocation application has been filed, and the holder will then have the opportunity to give a statement on the matter by a deadline. Read our instructions to the company name holder.
The PRH will decide on the matter based on both the application and the statements. If the holder of the company name has not given a statement on the matter, the PRH will revoke the company name registration, as requested in the application, unless the application is manifestly groundless.
The PRH will remove the company name from the Finnish Trade Register when a decision revoking the registration has become final and the holder of the company name has not submitted any new company name for registration, or a change to the line of business in the event of a partial revocation.
The PRH may however decide that the company name can remain in the register for a reasonable period of time.
You may lodge an appeal with the Finnish Market Court against the PRH’s revocation decision.
Read more in Finlex, the reference database of Finnish legislation, in Finnish or in Swedish:
Finnish Company Names Act: sections 1, 19, 20, 20 a, and 21 (in Finnish)Open link in a new tab
Finnish Company Names Act: sections 1, 19, 20, 20 a, and 21 (in Swedish)Open link in a new tab
Finnish Act on the Finnish Patent and Registration Office: section 6 (in Finnish) Open link in a new tab
Finnish Act on the Finnish Patent and Registration Office: section 6 (in Swedish)Open link in a new tab