14/10/2013
In a world where official fees seem to rise relentlessly, the US Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO) appears to be bucking the trend; recently announcing that certain fees are set to decrease on 1st January 2014.
The fee reductions include the issue, or grant, fees for “utility”, design and plant patents applications, and are fairly substantial.
The issue fee for a utility patent will decrease from $1780 to $960 for a large entity (most applicants); from $890 to $480 for a small entity; and from $445 to $240 for a microentity. There is an identical decrease for issue fees relating to reissue patents.
Issue fees for design patents and plant patents are also substantially reduced.
The reduced fees are effective 1st January 2014, and it may be worth considering whether it is possible to delay actions such as payment of issue fees until the New Year, to take advantage of the reductions.
The revised fee schedule effective 1st January 2014 can be viewed here.
So it’s a Happy New Year for 2014 from the USPTO!
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking before any action in reliance on it.
