Navigating Industrial Design Registration in Finland: Procedures and Key Insights

 Industrial Design Registration in Finland – Procedures, Requirements, and Key Insights

Finland’s design protection system provides creators and companies with an efficient and transparent way to safeguard the visual appearance of their products. The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) oversees the process, ensuring that designs meeting novelty and originality standards receive proper legal recognition. This article outlines the documentation, filing procedure, examination process, and post-registration considerations for industrial designs in Finland.

Authority:

• Applications are handled by the **Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH),  https://www.prh.fi/en/index.html(https://www.prh.fi/en/index.html

Term of Protection:

• An industrial design is protected for 5 years from the filing date and may be renewed every 5 years up to a maximum of 25 years.

Filing Deadline:

• Applications must be filed within 6 months from the earliest priority date.

Required Documents:

• Representations / Pictures
• A brief description in English, Swedish, or Finnish
• Power of attorney
• Certified copy of Priority documentnslation (DAS unavailable)
• Assignment of rights, employment proof, or priority transfer evidence

Process & Procedure: 

• Applicants may file an industrial design application electronically, by mail, or on paper. The official filing fee must be paid at the same time as the new application is submitted; otherwise, the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) will not begin the examination procedure. Only a formal examination is conducted - no substantive examination takes place.
• The design must possess novelty and individual character. It must also be the result of creative intellectual effort. Overly simple or ordinary designs cannot be registered. For example, basic geometric shapes such as spheres and squares, or common grids and stripes, are not registrable. Likewise, forms created by nature rather than by human design cannot be registered.
• The formality examination by PRH includes checking the lassification number, drawings, and other details. If defects are found in the design application, PRH issues an office action, and the applicant must respond within the deadline set by PRH.
• The brief description must not include any trademarks or product names, nor should it make reference to the quality of the product.
• Industrial designs are classified based on their purpose of use, following the International Classification for Industrial Designs. If the application includes multiple designs belonging to the same class, each design must be identified with consecutive numbers.
• Once an industrial design application has been submitted, no further modifications are permitted.
• Applicants may file a request for confidentiality if, for instance, they still need additional time to continue developing the product design. The maximum confidentiality period is 6 months. Such a request will extend the registration timeline. The applicant may also withdraw the application during the confidentiality period.
• Before registration, the applicant may affix labels on the product or packaging indicating the design application number. After registration, the registration number may be displayed instead.

Grace Period for Novelty:

If the design was disclosed by the designer or its predecessor within 12 months before filing, it remains eligible for registration under Finland’s novelty grace period rule.

Grant and Renewal Maintenance Fee:

A registration fee applies upon grant. Renewal requests must be submitted within 12 months before the expiration of each protection period. Late renewals filed within the 6-month grace period incur a surcharge. PRH issues an updated certificate of renewal after payment.

Granting Time:

The average registration time for an industrial design in Finland is approximately **one month**.

Conclusion

Finland’s industrial design registration framework is both efficient and reliable, offering strong protection for creative designs through a formal yet streamlined process. With electronic filing, clear examination standards, and flexible confidentiality options, PRH ensures that applicants can secure and maintain exclusive rights to their designs with minimal procedural barriers.