Public Business Support and Funding
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STARTING UP A BUSINESS IN FINLAND
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21
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Safeguarding of key ideas can be done in accordance with
legislation on intellectual property rights.
Options for protection include: a patent for a technical in-
vention (valid for 20 years), a utility model (i.e., a four-
year "small patent"), a trademark (a symbol that distin-
guishes the goods and services of a company) or a design
right that protects the appearance of a product or a part of
a product. Copyright protection is the only one that is not
applied for separately. Non-disclosure agreements are one
way to prevent a customer or collaborative partner from
disclosing your unprotected business ideas.
When planning a business, the free-of-charge databases
of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) offer
an easy and quick way to check the industrial rights of oth-
er actors: trade names, trademarks, design rights, utility
models and patents. The database can be used to check,
among other things what has been protected, where and
for how long.
In other words, are there any obstacles for the manufac-
ture or marketing of your product or service or is your in-
vention or solution unique and possibly patentable.
#1
FINLAND IS A GLOBAL LEADER IN
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.
International Property Rights Index 2021View entire presentation