PRH has been one of the few PCT authorities for 20 years

The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) has worked as a searching authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for 20 years. When the PRH became a searching authority on 1 April 2005, there were only 11 other such authorities: USA, Canada, Russia, Spain, Japan, Australia, China, Republic of Korea, Austria, Sweden, and the European Patent Office (EPO). Today, there are 25 searching authorities. Thanks to the PCT system, an international patent procedure can be started by filing a single application, which gives the applicant the option of a patent in all the 158 countries