(Publ. 26 NOV 2013) A recently filed government proposal suggests that it should be possible to file a national patent in Sweden in English. The changes may come into force 1 July 2014.

The purpose of the proposal is to reduce the costs for innovators associated with obtaining a patent. Applicants should no longer be needed to translate their patents into other languages, and can therefore reduce costs involved in filing an application.

The Swedish Ministry of Justice stresses the importance of reducing costs for innovators and companies in its press release: This promotes research and innovation. This is particularly true for research-intensive Swedish companies that use English as their working language, and for companies that intend to apply for patents in multiple countries in one and the same language.

The proposal however suggests that it still should be required to translate the claims into Swedish. This is to ensure that the Swedish public is able to understand the implication of granted patents.