A niche blog dedicated to the issues that arise when supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) extend patents beyond their normal life -- and to the respective positions of patent owners, investors, competitors and consumers. The blog also addresses wider issues that may be of interest or use to those involved in the extension of patent rights. You can email The SPC Blog here

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

Sweden: short and sweet

The Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV) boasts a bright, efficiently organised bilingual website in Swedish and English. 

Information on SPCs is a little hard to locate, since it's not visible from the site-map, but the operative page has this to say:
 "Background information on supplementary protection for pharmaceuticals
The period of patent protection for inventions is 20 years, from the date of filing for the patent application. However, in the case of patents for pharmaceuticals, the period of protection may be extended by a maximum of 5 years. Any such extension of the period of protection is granted under a Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC). This protection covers the active compound or compounds that constitute or form part of a pharmaceutical approved in accordance with the EU regulation that applies in Sweden. The period of SPC is calculated from the date of first approval of the pharmaceutical for sale in the EEA and the date of filing of the patent application. The SPC period begins when the period of validity for the patent expires. You can also be granted supplementary protection for plant protection products in the same way as for pharmaceuticals".
A table of SPC-related fees is provided on the Fees page.

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