Search services for trademarks, patents and design rights
- Service
- Nationwide
- Public service
It is advisable to start the process of ordering a patent search on the PRH website, where you can find separate pages for all different types of searches. When you have decided on the type of search required, fill in the application form carefully and send it to PRH. You can send the form either by post or through protected e-mail.
In terms of patent searches, only the online preliminary examin ...
Do the following
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office conducts on-demand searches on patents, trademarks and design rights. There are seven different types of patent searches suited for different purposes:
1) A report on the state of the art provides you with information about solutions that are already known in the field of your invention.
2) When you want to monitor your competitors’ new inventions and see how their patent applications are progressing, our competitor monitoring will keep you up-to-date.
3) A novelty search investigates whether your idea or invention is new before you submit your patent application.
4) An online preliminary examination of an invention allows you to quickly examine the novelty of your invention together with an examiner.
5) A patentability report is based on a previously conducted novelty search, and it assesses your invention according to the criteria for patentability.
6) A freedom to operate report provides you with information on patents which may harm the commercial use of your product.
7) A validity search can be used to determine the strength of the protection of a patent, or to search for novelty bars to revoke the competitor’s patent. We only conduct searches on patents granted outside PRH.
We also carry out preliminary examinations of varying scope on trademarks. The purpose is to find out whether or not it is possible to register a particular trademark. The examination takes five working days at the most.
You can order a novelty search or a freedom to operate report from the design rights department. In these examinations, we look for possible designs that could possibly prevent the registration of your design. We do not, however, take a position on whether the designs we discover constitute a real obstacle to the registration, but the person ordering the search shall decide whether to apply for a registration.
To whom and on what terms
Searches conducted by PRH are subject to a fee. The prices vary considerably, as they depend on the type of examination and the hours spent on it. Visit the PRH website for detailed information on pricing.
You should fill in the application form carefully. This is particularly important when ordering a novelty search or a patentability report, which require a detailed description of the invention. When ordering a novelty search, you must also give the examiner clear instructions, so that the examination can focus on matters of interest to you.
It is also important to attach images of the highest possible quality when ordering a novelty search or a freedom to operate report.