Changes to our online patent services in 2024
The PRH is developing a new online patent service in collaboration with the European Patent Office (EPO). The new service will replace the current Epoline Online Filing (eOLF) software, which is used by patent professionals for filing patent and utility model applications with the PRH. We aim to have the new service ready for testing by the end of 2023.
EPO Smart Cards will be abolished
The EPO will phase out EPO Smart Cards which are widely used by patent professionals. The EPO will no longer distribute new EPO Smart Cards from 1 January 2024. Existing smart cards can be used in the EPO services until the end of 2024. The PRH will stop using EPO Smart Cards as an identification method after 2024. We will provide more information about the schedule later.
The identification methods in our new patent service will include at least Suomi.fi e-Identification and the organisation card issued by the Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DPDSA). These identification methods can already be used in our other services that will stop accepting the EPO Smart Card – the Patent Payment Service, Patent Document Service and Deposit Account. We are also looking into other identification methods that would be available outside Finland.
Read more about the organisation card on the DPDSA website.Open link in a new tab
For further information, please contact:
Kimmo Kärkkäinen
Tel. +358 50 564 5026
firstname.lastname@prh.fi