Once you have decided that you wish to apply for patent protection abroad, you may either:

• file a patent application to the national patent authority in the country or countries concerned, or
• use international and/or regional agreements, which make it easier to apply for a patent in several countries for the same invention at the same time

Before you apply outside Norway

As applying for a patent abroad can be expensive, it is advisable to evaluate the likelihood of making a profit from your patent, before you begin the process. It is also important to carefully assess in which countries you wish to secure rights to a patent with regard to industry and the market.

So as not to waste time and money protecting an invention which may not be patentable in other countries, we recommend filing an initial patent application to the Industrial Property Office here in Norway. You will receive a written technical opinion regarding the patentability of your invention within about 7 months. This report will give you a good idea as to the outcome of your patent application at the European Patent Office (EPO) and in other countries.

If you need an urgent evaluation of your invention, you may order a preliminary search. You will receive an indication as to the patentability of your invention within 10 days.
Read more about the Preliminary Search Service

Other important factors

Your invention must not have been made known to others before the day on which the patent application is filed. In some countries, there are other rules, for example a grace period.

Within 12 months from applying for a patent i Norway, you can apply for a patent in other countries with "priority" from the Norwegian application. this means that the novelty aspect of your invention will be assessed as if it had been filed at the same time as the application in Norway. If other patent applications containing the same idea have been filed during this "priority year", your application will go first as it has priority, that is your application was filed first. Once you have filed your patent abroad, making your invention public will no longer be a hindrance to your being granted a patent.

NB: There is no central authority with the power to grant a "world patent".

Professional assistance

In order to get the best possible rights to your invention, we recommend that you seek professional assistance when planning and drafting your patent application in Norway and abroad. It can be a complicated process for inexperienced applicants.

A list of professional patent agents can be found in the Norwegian Yellow pages (These pages are in Norwegian only - the keyword is "patentbyråer").

More information

For more information on international patenting, ring our Information Centre, tel 22 38 73 33.