Why trust the PRH?

We carry out patentability searches and examinations, and our work quality is under regular control and improvement. We employ 100 highly educated examiners, and offer a variety of services. You are welcome to take advantage of our expertise.

We provide you with a reliable assessment on whether your invention might be patentable, which will help you plan cost-effectively when and to what extent it would be rational to proceed with patenting. Even if you are aiming at patenting beyond Finland, it may be a good idea to start the process by filing a national application with the PRH.

We also offer a route for businesses that operate in the international market and apply for the protection of intellectual property through other countries’ or international systems.

Our quality policy contributes to high quality

• Certified quality
  Our patent application procedure has been granted the ISO 9001:2015 quality certificate. The PRH was the first searching and examining PCT authority to get this certification. An annual audit by an independent expert supports us in the continuous development of our operations and processes.
• Check out the certificate (pdf, 0.4 MB)
  
• Check out the 2022 audit report in Finnish (pdf, 0.1 MB)
• Check out the 2021 audit report in Finnish (pdf, 0.4 MB)
• Check out the 2020 audit report in Finnish (pdf, 0.3 MB)
• Check out the 2019 audit report in Finnish (pdf, 0.3 MB)
  
• Skilled personnel
  Applications are dealt with by 100 examiners, whose expertise covers all technical fields. All our examiners have an academic degree; more than half also have a postgraduate degree. Read more about our quality policy and quality indicators
• Advanced tools
  Alongside domestic databases, we also have access to the databases and tools of the European Patent Office (EPO). We also have access to several Asian authorities’ (Japan, China, Korea) full-text databases and to Thomson Reuters’ STN database (including the Chemical Abstract database).
• Strong international expertise
  When carrying out novelty searches, we pay attention to the fact that legislation in other countries, such as the USA, may differ from ours. If needed, we personally advise you on what to take into account if you decide to pursue your application.
  

Wide range of services

• Search services
  We offer you a variety of search services to support your decisions: to help developing an idea, finding out the state of the art, or judging the novelty of a nearly finished invention. One of our services is “preliminary novelty search", where we assess the novelty of your invention before you file a patent application. Read more about our search services.
• Advisory service
  Our consulting engineers and client advisors can advise you on patenting. Read more about our advisory services.
• Fast-track processing (Patent Prosecution Highway, PPH)
  The international PPH system offers you a possibility to fast-track the processing of your application. Read more about the PPH.
• International PCT applications
  There are about twenty authorities in the world that process international PCT applications, and the PRH is one of them. In addition to a national application, you can also file a PCT application with the PRH for us to search. Read more.
• Processing languages Finnish, Swedish and English
  Today, we also offer a national application procedure carried out in English. Voit halutessasi tehdä hakemuksen suoraan englanniksi. This will help you to save in translation costs if you decide to progress with your application in countries outside Finland.
• Electronic applications
  The PRH was the first national office in Europe to launch online filing, using the eOLF application. Read more about online filing.
• Extensive, free databases
  Our databases include a lot of information about patents and patent applications. This is why they are extremely rich sources of technical information. You can use our Patent Information Service to follow the progress of application procedures including the correspondence. Read more about databases.
• Training
  We also arrange lectures and training events. Let us know what is of interest to you, and we can tailor a lecture or training event for you. Contact us.

Route for international patenting

A national patent application is a cost-effective way to start international patenting.

• Your national application can be written directly in English.
• After the application has been processed, it will be easier for you to decide whether to pursue the application outside Finland, in which countries, and whether you should amend the application.
• We also receive and process international PCT applications.
• If you choose the PCT route, you can delay your decision on where to pursue the application by up to 2.5 years.
• If you want patent protection quickly, you have the possibility to fast-track your application at any authorities which are members of the PPH system.