Patent application

The Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) accepts applications in Norwegian or English. If the application is in another language (for example German), you must translate it into Norwegian or English. Different deadlines apply for translations depending on the type of application, and which language the application is written in.

The title, description, claims and text written on the illustrations must be in the same language (Norwegian or English).

If you do not submit a translation of the PCT application into Norwegian or English within 33 months from the priority date, we will consider the application as withdrawn. If the translation of the national application has not been supplied before the deadline, the application will be dismissed.

If the application is filed in English or Norwegian, you can not change the language of the application at a later date.

Provisional protection

To obtain provisional protection in Norway for an application in English, you must submit a translation of the claims into Norwegian, and the NIPO must publish a notification stating that a Norwegian translation has been submitted.

You have the opportunity to correct the translation of the claims. You must pay a fee for this, and the NIPO must publish a notification stating that the translation has been corrected.

Language of correspondence

Correspondence with the applicant is generally in Norwegian, but you may, at any time, request that the examination procedure be conducted in English. You may send your request either in writing or orally, by e-mail, letter or telephone. We recommend that you decide early on in the application process, which language you wish to use for the examination procedure.  

For applications filed before 1st January 2015 you will receive only written opinions and search reports in English. Other letters will be in Norwegian.

In the examination process of your application you can contact us in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

As regards appeals, all proceedings at the NIPO will be conducted in Norwegian, so all contact with us must also be in Norwegian.

Contents of the application

Title

The title should be written in the same language as the rest of the application.

Summary

The summary should be written in the same language as the rest of the application.

Drawings

The text on the drawings should be written in the same language as the rest of the application.

Grant of patent

If the application is written in English, you must translate the claims into Norwegian before the application is approved for grant. You will have a period of one month to translate the claims into Norwegian if this is all that remains to be done before publication.