Norway may not be Included Under your European Regional Stage Filings

Norway joined the European Patent Convention on 1 January 2008, meaning that all European applications filed from that date could designate Norway.  PCT applications filed from that date also include Norway under the European regional umbrella.
 
However, the Norwegian Patent Office has noticed a surprising reduction in national stage entries since then.  It appears many applicants have wrongly assumed that a European regional stage filing after 1 January 2008 would include Norway.

The reality is that it is the date of the PCT application - not the regional stage entry - that is critical.
 
If you want coverage in Norway, you’ll need to take extra care to confirm whether you still need a separate Norwegian national stage filing.  The general rule is: if the PCT application was filed on or after 1 January 2008, then Norway will be a part of a European regional stage filing based on that PCT application. If it was filed in 2007 or earlier, the national stage must be entered in Norway separately if you want protection there.
 
If you have any doubts about your particular circumstances, we'd be very pleased to help you determine whether you need to cover Norway separately.


 
Please note: The information above is necessarily general in nature and makes some assumptions for the purposes of simplifying the explanation of the situation.  Please do not rely on this general advice without seeking professional advice about your specific application(s).