Norway: Legal Environment

Business Contract

General Observation: Obligations of the vendor and quality control must be stated clearly.
Law Applicable to the Contract: Norway has signed the Vienna Convention on International Contracts.
Advisable Incoterms: Most used terms are FOB and CIF.
Language of Domestic Contract: Norwegian, English
Other Laws Which Can Be Used in Domestic Contracts: The laws and courts of America, England and Switzerland provide fair justice and are understandable in English, which is likely to be accepted by your supplier.

National Organisations: The Industrial Property Office
Regional Organisations: Patent Protection: the European Patent Office
International Membership: Member of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Signatory to the Paris Convention For the Protection of Intellectual Property
Membership to the TRIPS agreement - Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)

Type of property and law	Validity	International Agreements Signed
Patent Patents Act (Act No. 9 of December 15, 1967) (consolidated version of 2016)	20 years	Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Trademark Trademarks Act (Act No. 8 of March 26, 2010) (consolidated version of 2015)	10 years. A trademark can be renewed for another 10 years for an unlimited number of times.	Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks
Design Designs Act (Act No. 15 of March 14, 2003, relating to Design Protection) (consolidated version of 2015)	5 years, renewable four times, for 5-year periods, for up to 25 years
Copyright Copyright Act (Act No. 2 of May 12, 1961, relating to Copyright in Literary, Scientific and Artistic Works) (consolidated version of 2015)	70 years, but varies depending on the type of product	Berne convention For the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms Rome ConventionFor the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations WIPO Copyright Treaty WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
Industrial Models Act No. 25 of May 31, 2013, amending Legislation on the Protection of Industrial Property Rights, etc. (Extract) (2013)	5 years, renewable four times, for 5-year periods, for up to 25 years

Equal Treatment of Nationals and Foreigners: Foreigners can expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system.
The Language of Justice: Norwegian and Sami. Citizens can use either bokmål or nynorsk.
Recourse to an Interpreter: Yes.
Legal Similarities: Mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions. The legal system is generally based on written statutes, but with some influence of common law principles. Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked. Accepts compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction, but with reservations. Norway is a member of European Economic Area and is required to adapt EU legislation in most policy areas.

Foundation of the state, rights of individuals	The Constitution
Criminal Law	The Penal Code
Administration	Public Administration Act
Taxation	The Taxation Act
Environment	Environmental Protection Act, Nature Diversity Act
Company law	Limited Liability Companies Act, The Partnerships Act

Checking National Laws Online: Norwegian laws in English
Other Useful Resources: Ministry of Justice and the Police
Web sites of Norwegian courts
Country Guides: Jurist World Law

The Supreme Court	Nation's highest court of justice. Gives final verdicts.
The Courts of Appeal	Court of second instance for appeal. Six appellate districts.
District courts	108 courts of first instance.
Special courts	Labour Court, The Industrial Disputes Tribunal, The Land Consolidation Courts.
Conciliation Boards	Located in each municipality. Mediates between disputing parties and is authorized to pronounce a verdict.

District Court judges: Civil cases are judged by one professional judge, who may be assisted by two lay judges. Criminal cases are judged by one professional judge and two lay judges or, in some cases, two professionals and three lay judges.
Courts of Appeal judges: A senior judge president and several appellate judges assisted by lay judges.
Supreme Court judges: Chief Justice and 18 other judges. Appointed by the King after nomination by the Ministry of Justice and the Police.

Arbitration: Arbitration is recognized under Norwegian law as a legitimate method for settling disputes. The Norwegian Arbitration Act is based on the international standard.
Arbitration Law: Can be found here ( in Norwegian).
Conformity to International Commercial Arbitration Rules: Party to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.
Appointment of Arbitrators: Unless the parties otherwise agree, the Arbitral Tribunal will consist of three arbitrators.
Arbitration Procedure: The parties are required to exchange a claim and reply. Supplementation of claims is possible in the later stages, unless the Tribunal decides otherwise. Normally all claims and points of dispute will be settled in the final award. The Arbitral Tribunal may decide to settle separate claims in separate awards. The parties are free to settle at any stage of the proceedings, and present such settlement for confirmation to the Tribunal. Awards should be in writing and signed by all members of the Tribunal. Ordinary courts cannot take a second look at the issues resolved.
Permanent Arbitration Bodies: Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Institute of the Oslo Chamber of Commerce (Sectors Covered: General)

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